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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24279223">Remember The Void</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baddinock_Ingiss_the_Third/pseuds/Baddinock_Ingiss_the_Third'>Baddinock_Ingiss_the_Third</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bright Moon, Dryl, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fright zone, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Monogamy, Multi, Original Character(s), Other, Polyamory, Rebuilding, Salineas, catradora, plot heavy, post s5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 01:02:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>37,733</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24279223</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baddinock_Ingiss_the_Third/pseuds/Baddinock_Ingiss_the_Third</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Best Friends Squad are trying to learn how to live their lives after the Final Battle. Kingdoms need to be rebuilt, trust must be restored, and any future threats have to be found and eradicated before they can become too dangerous. But the First Ones may not have been the only underlying threat on Eternia...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Kyle/Lonnie/Rogelio (She-Ra), Mermista/Sea Hawk (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>74</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>215</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Calm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Best Friends Squad plan their first big mission after the Final Battle. Adora and Catra steal a moment in the sunshine.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After the Final Battle, all the Best Friends Squad could do was collapse and rest.</p><p>The four tumbled into Adora’s room, exhausted and sore, and dragged cushions into a pile next to her bed. They barely stopped to wash the dirt off their faces, too tired to care. They fell into their makeshift bed one by one. First Adora in the center, sprawled, arms and legs askew. Then Glimmer, snuggled into Adora’s side, unwilling to be parted from a friend she had almost lost. That was followed by Bow spooning Glimmer, his face buried into her shoulder. Catra held out, pacing the room, unwilling to show affection to her new friends in this way… until she became too tired to protest and flopped across all of them.</p><p>They didn’t budge until halfway through the next day, when a gentle knock at the door made Bow stir. He pulled himself from their pile, rubbing knots of muscle in his shoulder, and answered. A cart of goodies had been left for them - drinks, full meals, sweets, even some tiny treats that Entrapta had specifically requested for them.</p><p>It didn’t take long for the four to clear the cart, especially Adora, who ate like she hadn’t tasted food for a century. The grateful squad took some time to get cleaned up before they returned to their bed, this time fetching some blankets and changing into softer clothes beforehand.</p><p>After another solid day of sleep, the four woke. They took turns fetching food, rubbing poultices on each other's wounds, and beginning to talk through what they had witnessed. Glimmer cried. To everyone’s surprise, Catra was the first to hold her. Adora and Bow hugged them close until the weeping slowed.</p><p>Was this what peace would be like? Soft morning light streaming through windows, friends pressed close, hushed whispers that soothed the hearts’ wounds? None of them had ever known true peace. It was hard to know what to look for.</p><p> </p><p>-+-</p><p> </p><p>“Catra?”</p><p>Catra flinched, her thoughts interrupted by Adora’s voice from across the hall. She smiled, looking up and giving her girlfriend a wave.</p><p>”Hey, Adora.”</p><p>She could see Adora’s cheeks flush, even from a distance. Grinning, Catra leaned back into the cushion of the curved bench she was lounging on. She had been enjoying the sunlight streaming through the window beside her, and the beautiful view of the Whispering Woods surrounding Bright Moon. Now, as Adora came to her side, her view was even better.</p><p>Adora was dressed in her favorite clothes since the Calm began - a crisp white tunic, flowing golden pants, and sandals trimmed with golden thread. A simple look, but one Catra never grew tired of seeing. Though, Catra thought to herself, Adora could have worn a potato sack and she still would have been thoroughly enamored.</p><p>Catra’s smile widened as Adora brushed a hand through her hair, still choppy after her kidnapping, but now threatening to brush against her shoulders once again. It was growing back slower than Catra would have liked. It had been two months, and she couldn’t stand the thought of waiting even longer to feel like she had reclaimed that part of herself again.</p><p>“I love hearing you say that.” Her lover replied, running a thumb across Catra’s ear as she pulled her hand away. Catra rumbled, trapping Adora’s hand against her cheek and then kissing her palm.</p><p>“I know. You’re easy to read.” She grinned as she heard Adora scoff above her. After a moment, a giggle rose in Catra’s throat, then caught in Adora’s, infectious and pure, and the two leaned into each other as they laughed.</p><p>Adora wiped her eyes, still giggling, and pulled Catra to her feet and into an embrace. “I came to get you. You’re good at distracting me.”</p><p>“Oh, I can be even more distracting if you’d like.” Catra purred in response, burying her face into Adora’s neck. She felt her love gasp, then giggle again, squirming.</p><p>”Catra!” Catra felt Adora pull away, and frowned, until she saw the look of pure affection on Adora’s face. She wrinkled her nose, pouting a bit as Adora continued. “We’re waiting on you. We have to meet with King Micah and Castaspella again, remember?”</p><p>Catra groaned dramatically, slumping in Adora’s arms and throwing an arm over her own face. “Oh, I can’t today, dearest. I’ve caught sun-itis. The only cure is to keep napping in this window.”</p><p>Adora snorted, and even that was cute coming from her. Catra peeked over her arm to see her reaction, and saw Adora was stifling a laugh. Perfect. She smirked, launching a sneak attack to kiss her girlfriend’s neck again.</p><p>“Can’t we skip this one? We’ve been parroting the same things for the past three weeks.” Catra straightened, adopting a pose that Castaspella used when she was frustrated - rigid, hands behind her back, heels snapped together and lips pursed. “We can’t allow the Queen to leave Bright Moon so soon! It’s bad enough she keeps spending days at Garnet Falls when there’s so much to be done here!”</p><p>Garnet Falls. Catra was a huge fan of Scorpia’s new name for her homeland. It had been so long since her family had owned it that Scorpia had forgotten what it was originally called. Paying tribute to the Black Garnet that she had rekindled her connection with felt… healthy. Yuck. But it suited her friend, and it sounded a lot better than the Fright Zone.</p><p>At the sight of her girlfriend’s impression, Adora couldn’t hold back her laughter. She gripped her sides, doubled over, the sound echoing throughout the grand hallway. Catra broke character and laughed as well, draping herself over Adora.</p><p>She had missed this. She would never get tired of it.</p><p>After a minute of catching their breath, Adora pulled Catra in for a kiss, then looped an arm around her waist. “Come on, love. This is important to Glimmer. And besides, Wrong Hor- sorry…. Junior… is making snacks for us.” Adora shook her head. “That’s going to take some getting used to. I can’t believe we called him Wrong Hordak for so long. We should have given him a name right away.”</p><p>Catra wasn’t paying attention to Adora’s musing. The warmth of her arm around Catra’s waist had her purring, reminding her of the sunbeam she had just been napping in, but inside. That didn’t even make sense, and was so sappy and dumb that two months ago she would have slapped herself for even thinking of it. But it fit. They fit. She snuggled up against Adora as they walked.</p><p>”Fine. But only because it’s for Sparkles.” Catra had grown fond of Glimmer, though she wouldn’t dare admit it out loud. She knew Adora could tell. Probably Glimmer and Bow as well. But she would never tell them so directly.</p><p>Adora’s arm squeezed around her, a soft sideways hug. “Thank you, Catra.” Her voice was quiet, warm, tender. Catra looked at her, admiring her strong jawline, imagining the kisses she could be trailing across it, before shaking herself out of her daydream.</p><p>“Yeah, well, it’s important to you too. And you’re important to me. So I guess I need to be supportive or whatever.”</p><p>Adora’s laugh made Catra blush. If Adora had asked, she’d live in these meetings forever. Now that they were together, Catra would bend the world for her.</p><p>“I love you, you know.” Catra spoke softly, ears back, looking at the ground. She felt Adora pause, then turn, and their lips met. Adora kissed her deeply, arms wrapped around her as if afraid Catra would break away. No way. Catra wasn’t going anywhere.</p><p>When their kiss finally broke, Adora kept her forehead pressed against Catra’s, running her finger in small circles in the small of her back. “I love you too, Catra.”</p><p> </p><p>-+-</p><p> </p><p>“We can’t allow the Queen to leave Bright Moon so soon!”Castaspella’s voice echoed through the huge chamber they used as their meeting room. Catra slumped in her chair and rolled her eyes. Called it. ”It’s bad enough that-”</p><p>Bow placed his hand on the huge circular table between them all. Castaspella fell silent. He didn’t need to be loud. He had gained a tremendous amount of respect in Bright Moon after the Final Battle.</p><p>His voice was calm and measured. “Glimmer is powerful and well-respected across all of Etheria. She’s Bright Moon’s queen, but she’s also a leader amongst people outside of the reach of the Moonstone. If she thinks this endeavor would help strengthen the peace across the planet, then we should support her.” He paused, looking over at Glimmer, who was beaming fondly at him. “Besides, the time she’s spent in Garnet Falls has been beneficial to Princess Scorpia and to the former subjects of the Horde. I don’t think we should be upset with them for requesting her presence so often.”</p><p>Catra smirked. She couldn’t remember a time after the first when Scorpia had requested Glimmer’s presence. Glimmer liked helping and enjoyed the small adventures Garnet Falls offered. But leave it to Bow to twist it into something the elders could get behind. Diplomacy and politics suited him.</p><p>Glimmer rose from her seat, patting Bow’s hand fondly as he sat back down. “Thank you, Bow. He raises good points. It’s true that Bright Moon has a tremendous amount of repairs that need doing, but I have no hand in that. The remnants of the Horde have no leader and pose no threat to us.” She cleared her throat, then placed her hand on the table. A column of light rose from it, warping into shapes that mimicked Etheria and its surrounding moons.</p><p>”We now know that space travel is possible. We also know that there are a multitude of worlds, and many that the Horde had begun to destroy. Thanks to our meeting with the Star Siblings, we know that magic hasn’t been seen on these worlds in centuries. It is possible that’s due to the tampering of the First Ones.” She frowned, running her fingers across the table in a magical gesture that made the map zoom in on one of the moons.</p><p>“If we are to protect ourselves in the future, we need to be certain that our planet is free of the First Ones’ control, and that our immediate surroundings are clean as well. Then, we can begin reaching out to other planets and assisting them with the recovery of their magic.” As she finished, she awkwardly retracted her hand, causing the map to blink out for a moment before it recovered.</p><p>Castaspella shook her head, and Catra noticed that King Micah was studying the map intensely as his sister began protesting again. She couldn’t bring herself to focus on what was being said, instead trying to follow his gaze.</p><p>“Enough!” Adora’s voice broke her concentration. She turned to see her love standing at the table, one hand on Glimmer’s shoulder. Sparkles looked heated. Whatever Castaspella had said must have really grated on her nerves. Catra leaned back in her chair, tail flicking slowly.</p><p>“We can’t keep going in circles. Castaspella, Glimmer, you can’t keep this up. What we need is time.” Adora continued. She wasn’t as diplomatic as Bow, Catra mused to herself. Her words were more blunt. It suited her. The Hero of Etheria couldn’t be soft when it came to issues like this. “Rebuilding takes time, and so does preparing to go back into space. We can do both. Garnet Falls is almost completely rebuilt, and Scorpia has promised she would make room for any more Horde defectors.”</p><p>Castaspella scoffed. “If we split our resources, we leave ourselves vulnerable to new attacks.”</p><p>King Micah rose from his seat, and the room fell quiet. Castaspella sat down, deferring to her brother without hesitation. He gazed across the room at Glimmer with a fondness that hurt a little bit to witness.</p><p>“Sister, I agree with you that we need to continue protecting ourselves. However, my daughter and her friends make good points.” He motioned towards the magical map. “The technology that the First Ones toyed with on Etheria was terrifying. It could be used against us once again. We don’t know how much of a threat it is, but until we’re certain, we can’t be sure that we’re truly safe.”</p><p>“As you wish, my king.” Castaspella sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. Catra’s ears perked. That was new. Casta hadn’t given up ground on this issue since Glimmer had first brought it up.</p><p>Micah shook his head. “Don’t call me that, Casta.” He moved around the table to her, putting a hand on her head and causing her to grumble under her breath. After a moment of thoroughly messing up her hair, he grinned, and made his way to the edge of the room where a table of tiny treats waited. “I’m only king in name.”</p><p>Catra heard Glimmer giggle. Yeah, he definitely didn’t act very regal. Catra liked that about him. She liked to imagine he was the same way when Glimmer was younger, that maybe his time on Beast Island hadn’t changed him much. At least, she hoped so.</p><p>Castaspella attempted to fix her hair, huffing. “Alright. Can we at least agree to finish reinforcing the new Sea Gate before you all run off on another wild adventure?” She looked at Glimmer, almost pleading. Glimmer shrugged.</p><p>”Okay, Aunt Casta. But we’re going to go help. Mermista asked us to help her get the decorations in place.”</p><p>“I suppose you’d go off and do so even if I protested.” Casta responded, re-pinning her hair. She sighed. “Please be safe, Glimmer.”</p><p>Bow responded this time, grinning as he put a hand on Glimmer’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, the Best Friends Squad has her back!” Glimmer and Adora grinned at each other, and then at Catra. She flinched.</p><p>“Great… We get to go hang out in water world. My absolute favorite place.” She said through gritted teeth. The musical laughter of her friends filled the room, and as much as Catra hated to admit it, the thought of going on another adventure with them made her feel warm inside. Gross.</p><p>Oh well. She’d have to get used to all this princess crap, for Adora.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Salineas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The squad travel to Salineas to assist Princess Mermista with the rebuilding of the Sea Gate. Adora and Catra share a few moments, and Adora finds something strange.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After getting Melog situated with their own bed in Micah’s chambers, and a few short goodbyes, Glimmer transported them to Salineas. Mermista and Sea Hawk met them at the center of the ruined city. At first, it was hard not to be distraught by the sheer amount of destruction that had been dealt to Salineas proper. The city had been completely demolished by Hordak’s Horde, and never properly reclaimed until after the Final Battle. The buildings of Salineas had been a beautiful blend of stone and shell, but now the ocean breeze whistled over sharp rubble. Even the scent of the sea was dulled by a metallic tang that reminded Adora of the workshops in the Fright Zone.</p><p>But Adora’s heart leapt when she saw the mass of tents dotting the horizon. She heard orders being barked and lively chatter float across the ruins. People, townspeople, workers, volunteers, all here to lend a hand to the restoration.</p><p>The group surveyed the damage as they walked through the city towards the tents. Bow and Glimmer stayed close to Mermista and Sea Hawk. Adora and Catra hung back a bit, their hands linked.</p><p>“It really sucks not having anything fixed yet. I loved hanging out in the marketplace, especially the weaponsmith’s place.” Mermista drawled, arms folded across her chest as she surveyed a ravaged building that looked like it had once been a shop. She picked through the rubble for a moment before pulling a scrap of banner free, and running her thumb across it. “The Sea Gate has to be done first though. It’s not just a physical gate.”</p><p>“It’s magic!” Sea Hawk chimed in helpfully, one hand on his hip, his other sneaking around Mermista’s waist. She rolled her eyes, but Adora could see a blush creeping across Mermista’s cheeks. “An anchor, both magical and physical, to separate powerful tides from the sweet, soft shores…”</p><p>“Dude.” Mermista interrupted him, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. “Chill. But… He’s not wrong.” She stepped to the side, motioning towards the waves in the distance. From their position, they could see the ocean churning. The sunset dancing across the top of the water was beautiful, Adora mused, but a little terrifying. The light was harsh and bright, and a shade of red that was unnerving.</p><p>“The old Sea Gate helped to literally calm the storm. Without it, the tides are acting weird. We’re okay right now, but if we don’t get a new one in place, eventually the ocean will start acting up again.” Mermista frowned, and there was genuine concern in her tone. She stared down at the scrap of cloth in her hands, and her grip on it tightened. “One bad shift, and it could create waves that would wipe out everything we’re rebuilding.”</p><p>“Not gonna happen!” Glimmer piped up, clapping her hands together. She was practically sparkling, Adora thought to herself. Her power was palpable, especially when she was excited like this. “We’re here now, and we’re staying until this is done!”</p><p>“Yeah, vacation in water town,” Catra chimed in sarcastically, and wiggled her fingers in mock excitement. Adora couldn’t help but giggle. She squeezed Catra’s hand, and heard a soft pleasant rumble start in her girlfriend’s chest.</p><p>“Not a vacation, Catra! We’ve got serious work to do.” Glimmer brought both hands to her face and clenched her fists, and now she really was sparkling. “Best Friends Squad is on the case! Just point us where you need us. I can bring materials wherever you need, and Bow is good with his hands-”</p><p>“We can’t do any more until morning,” Mermista interrupted, and Glimmer deflated a bit. “Sorry. But we already almost lost one volunteer when she slipped and fell at night. Didn’t see her waving for help until she was close to going under.” Mermista sighed, and Sea Hawk pulled her into a sideways hug. Adora heard Catra and Glimmer gasp, and Glimmer’s hand covered her mouth. “I won’t let that happen again.”</p><p>“My dearest Mermista, you’ve put in extra effort to see that our friends will stay safe in the future. Please, don’t burden yourself with these thoughts any further.” He took her by the hand, staring lovingly down at her. Mermista blushed harder, then groaned, patting his chest (with surprising fondness) before pulling away.</p><p>“Right. Anyways. My people heard you were coming and they put together a feast or whatever. So like, come eat and then we’ll deal with it in the morning.” She waved towards a tall tentacled woman who cheered and stepped into the largest tent. After a few moments, loud and peppy music began playing.</p><p>“Aha, yes! Onwards!” Sea Hawk exclaimed, pointing dramatically. “To adventure! And deliciousness!” He grabbed Bow and Glimmer both by the hands, and the two yelped in surprise as he dragged them up the ridge towards the tent. A wave of calm flooded Adora as she heard the three laughing in the distance. She felt Catra snuggle up closer against her side.</p><p>“Don’t wait too long, or else you won’t be able to eat before Sea Hawk starts singing. He’ll spoil your appetite,” Mermista mused to Adora, smirking, before she picked up her pace to catch up. “Sea Hawk, don’t hog my friends!”</p><p>“Adora.”</p><p>Adora turned to look at her girlfriend, and was shocked when she saw Catra’s eyes filling with tears. She pulled Catra against her chest, wiping a tear from her cheek with the side of her hand. “Oh, Catra… What’s wrong?”</p><p>Catra flinched at Adora’s touch, and it hit Adora all at once. The Horde had done this. Catra had been with them, maybe even ordered the attack. Looking into Catra’s eyes confirmed this. She took a deep breath, then doubled down, hugging her love even tighter. “You thought you were doing the right thing. It’s okay.”</p><p>“It’s not!” Catra cried out, pulling out of Adora’s embrace. Adora hung her head. “It’s not okay. I was angry. I wanted everyone to suffer, and they did! And now…”</p><p>Adora sighed. She looked up to see Catra staring at her, eyes darting, tears now openly streaming down her face. All Adora could do was raise her arms again to beckon Catra back. After a moment, Catra rushed back over, burying her face in Adora’s shoulder and weeping.</p><p>“Catra. We’ve made so many mistakes. Both of us,” Adora murmured soothingly, stroking Catra’s hair. “You did horrible things, for bad reasons. I… I pushed you away, I abandoned you.” The weeping grew louder. Adora kissed every part of Catra’s head she could reach, rubbing her back in slow circles.</p><p>“I’m so sorry… I’m sorry…” she heard Catra mumble through sobs.</p><p>Adora waited until Catra’s breathing had slowed before she continued. “I know. I trust you, Catra. I know you’ll do whatever it takes to make things right.” She stroked Catra’s cheek, and this time, Catra pressed her face closer to Adora’s hand. Adora smiled. “And I won’t ever abandon you again. You’re stuck with me now.”</p><p>She felt Catra laugh at that, and then they were kissing, and a weight lifted off Adora’s heart. She smiled into the kiss, and when they parted, Catra was shaking her head.</p><p>“You idiot. That’s all I want. You’re all I want.”</p><p> </p><p>-+-</p><p> </p><p>The feast was rustic, but delicious. The squad had their fill and a night of dancing, singing, and laughter. Other than a quick run-in with the tentacled woman from before (who was missing an eye, and wasn’t pleased in the slightest to see Catra there), it was a wonderful evening all around. The four retired to a large shared tent, still chatting and laughing until exhaustion finally overtook them.</p><p>The next morning, Adora woke before everyone else. She peeled herself away from Catra, ignoring her girlfriend’s sleepy protests and tucking her back into the bedroll before she stepped outside the tent. She stretched, massaged her scars, and went in search of something to wash away her morning breath. After some wandering, she found Mermista hunched over a table covered in paper, detailing plans for the city.</p><p>“Morning. Breakfast?” Mermista waved one hand towards a platter of food, and Adora helped herself, pouring a large glass of juice and scarfing down a pastry before joining Mermista at the table.</p><p>“Did you eat?” Adora asked through a mouthful of something savory that she hadn’t recognized, but definitely liked. Mermista shook her head, shifting a stack of papers to unearth something before sighing.</p><p>“Not hungry yet. I hate mornings,” she groaned, rubbing her face in frustration. Adora saw her shoulders sag. “And I hate these blueprints. Nothing feels right.”</p><p>“Right, like how?” Adora continued, scooting her chair closer so she could study the plans. There seemed to be papers for every building in the city, multiple versions of each, and her head swam just looking at them. She couldn’t imagine how overwhelmed Mermista felt. Instinctively, she reached out to pat Mermista’s shoulder. “Hey… One thing at a time, okay?”</p><p>To her surprise, Mermista didn’t protest. She just nodded solemnly, pushing the papers away and placing a large blueprint across the top of everything. Adora looked it over, her eyes widening. “Whoa…. Mermista, this is... “</p><p>“A lot.” Mermista circled part of the plans with her finger. “These channels here,” she said, tracing them with her fingertip, “are where inlaid metals are going. My people found a rare mineral, tritinum, that will hold up against the water. So we’re using that, with layers of mother-of-pearl bordering it. We can’t go back and add them later, because I have to channel the Pearl’s energy into it while it’s being laid, so it’s going to take time to detail properly as we go.”</p><p>“Mermista, it’s beautiful.” Adora squeezed Mermista’s shoulder fondly before letting go. Mermista smiled. “It’s going to be incredible.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Mermista sighed again, but this time the air felt less heavy between them. She leaned back in her chair, rubbing her chin. “If Bow and Catra can help supervise the framework, and Glimmer can move tritinum, I think we can have it ready in two days. Then, I’ll need She-Ra’s help to repair the connection between the Sea Gate and the Pearl.”</p><p>Adora nodded, and she was pleased to see Mermista smile again. “We’re ready! Well, we will be. I’ll go wake everyone up, and then we’ll be ready.”</p><p>Mermista made a noise of distaste, rocking her chair back. “I should go wake Sea Hawk up… Ugh, he’s so annoying when he’s awake though.” But she blushed, and Adora swore she saw Mermista bite her lip for a moment.</p><p>“If you find him so annoying, maybe you shouldn’t be sleeping with him,” Adora teased, grinning as Mermista grew flustered. She laughed. For a long time, she had wondered how Mermista could be with Sea Hawk with how much he bothered her. It took her several months of spending time with the two to realize that was how they showed affection to one another. “Sorry. I think Catra’s rubbing off on me.”</p><p>“I’m sure she is.” Mermista fired back, and it was Adora’s turn to flush. She felt warmth spread through her. Her mind grew fuzzy, and she barely noticed Mermista standing to fetch a piece of fruit from the platter of food. Before she ate, she surprised Adora with a quick hug, snapping the blonde out of her trance. “Hey…. Thanks, hero. I needed a pep talk.”</p><p>Adora returned the hug without hesitation. “Any time.”</p><p> </p><p>-+-</p><p> </p><p>Day one of rebuilding the Sea Gate went smoothly. Catra was a pro at organizing the workers and keeping everyone on track (although Adora chided her for continuing to call herself “the boss”) and Bow kept the materials flowing where they were needed. Glimmer and Mermista focused on the details, and Adora busied herself with some of the larger decorations.</p><p>Sea Hawk had found an artist in his home city, Seaworthy, who owed him a favor, and had commissioned two enormous stone tridents that were to adorn the outside of the gate. There were also some gorgeous seashell plaques, a huge portrait of a mermaid that seemed to be hand-made out of coral, and a touching memorial to those lost in the Final Battle that was etched into a piece of tritinum. Their names looked rough and raw cut into the speckled blue metal, and Adora spent longer than she should have running her fingers over each in turn. Before she knew it, the sun was beginning to set, and she cursed herself under her breath for getting so distracted. She busied herself placing plaques on the inner foundations of the Gate until Catra’s voice rang out, calling her to come eat dinner and rest.</p><p>Their evening was soothing. Someone had pulled a huge armchair into the dining tent and decorated it for Mermista, and she lounged there, Sea Hawk draped over her lap while she observed the festivities. If the atmosphere hadn’t been so jovial, Adora would have thought she cut an imposing figure. Even when she crawled into bed next to Catra later, her ears rang from the music and laughter.</p><p>The second day started pleasantly, with a shared breakfast spread out on a makeshift table, and Mermista detailing the last of what was necessary to finish the Sea Gate. Catra and Bow left to rouse the workers, and with Glimmer’s help, Adora positioned the massive stone tridents and secured them against the gate. As she tightened the final bolt, something cracked, and a piece of metal popped out of place and bounced off her cheek into the water. Adora yelped, losing grip on her wrench, which also tumbled into the sea.</p><p>“Crap! Uh… Mermista?” Adora looked nervously around, and after a moment, the mermaid princesses’ head popped around the side of the gate to meet her gaze. A streak of oil was smeared across her cheek. “I dropped my wrench in the water…. And something metal popped out of place.”</p><p>“You can’t swim?” Mermista shot back. She rubbed the oil with a rag, but it only made the smear worse.</p><p>Adora snorted and moved to help. “I can and I'm going to, I’m just warning you ahead of time. If I don’t come back up, you have to come get me.” She swapped Mermista’s oily rag for a clean one before tugging off her shirt and pants and preparing to dive in. “And don’t let anyone steal my clothes in the meantime.”</p><p>“I could just go get it for you,” Mermista offered, but Adora had already slipped into the water. She dove down, ignoring Mermista’s now-muffled protests, and glanced around quickly. Thankfully the wrench hadn’t fallen far. It had landed on a small shelf below, stuck between a rock and a beautiful piece of coral. Adora extracted it as carefully as she could, then paused. The sunlight streaming through the water reflected off something else, and she grabbed it before swimming back to the surface. She took a deep breath in as she crested, and hauled herself back up with Mermista’s help.</p><p>“Gotta do everything yourself, huh hero?” Mermista watched as Adora wrung water from her ponytail. After she had spent a good minute trying to get dry, Mermista rolled her eyes and held a hand towards her friend, magically pulling the remaining water from her skin and flicking it back into the ocean.</p><p>Adora glared at her in response. “You couldn’t have done that right away?”</p><p>Mermista shrugged. “You didn’t ask.”</p><p>Adora snorted, then pulled her clothes back on, tucking her wrench into her pocket before studying the mystery metal. It was jagged, and she was amazed it hadn’t cut her. The metal was rusted, definitely not made for the ocean air. “Mermista, I thought tritinum was safe around water?”</p><p>Mermista came closer, grabbing Adora’s hand from underneath and inspecting the shard closer. “This isn’t tritinum. It looks… old, but not old.” She scowled, plucking it from Adora’s palm before she could protest. “If this was built into those tridents, I am going to personally kick that artist’s ass.”</p><p>“I think it was on the gate itself.” Adora ran her hand across the stone behind the trident, and frowned when she came up with nothing. She shrugged. “Maybe a broken tool from yesterday?”</p><p>“Better have been. This can’t go wrong, Adora.” Mermista carefully handed her the shard, and Adora wrapped it in the oily rag and tucked it away for safe-keeping. “This gate has to be stronger than before, and it can’t wait any longer.”</p><p>Adora gestured at the tridents, trying to interrupt the negative thoughts she knew were running through Mermista’s mind. “Hey, look. These are done! We just need to pick where to put the memorial plaque, and then once the top of the arch is complete, it’ll be She-Ra time.” She put as much cheerfulness behind her words as she could.</p><p>It seemed to work. Mermista picked the memorial plaque up, holding it solemnly. “I think I might put this somewhere better, actually. No one can study it out here. Not like a ship is going to stop halfway so everyone can read it.” Mermista cradled it, nodding towards the center of the city. “There’s gonna be a big fountain in the marketplace, I want to put it there instead.”</p><p>Adora flinched as a particularly wild wave crashed against the rock near them, sending a spray of salt water across her face. “I like that better. Plus, we’ll finish sooner. I like the water, but I’m starting to get tired of smelling like brine.”</p><p>It wasn’t much longer before the main arch was completed, and the crew gathered to stare in awe up at their creation. The new Sea Gate was larger than it had been before, sculpted as beautifully as Mermista had planned, and the veins of tritinum and mother-of-pearl shone and sparkled in the sun.</p><p>Sea Hawk grinned at his friends, clapping his hands in excitement. “Artinius helped me put a surprise into the tridents. I was going to save it for later, but oh…. I can’t bear it any longer!” He fumbled around in his pockets, and after a moment brought out a set of flint and tinder. The squad watched in amusement as he dashed between the huge tridents, muttering to himself and creating sparks. “Now where did he put… Ah! Brilliant, Artinius! Behold!”</p><p>The left trident sparked to life, flames shooting from the tips of the three prongs in a dramatic fashion. The right one followed after a few moments. Mermista’s mouth hung open.</p><p>“Did you… Did you tell him to make statues that can be set on fire?” She asked, staring up at them in awe. Sea Hawk nodded, stepping back to her side. He gasped as Mermista flung herself into his arms, kissing his cheek in a display of affection that shocked the group. “You… I have never wanted you more than I do right now.”</p><p>“Ahem! Show’s over. Five minute break before the magic begins?” Sea Hawk asked, clearing his throat. Mermista pulled back and glared at him. “Ah… Ten minutes? No? Thirty?” He kept quoting times as Mermista yanked him through the gate and across the ruins. After they were out of ear shot, Glimmer began laughing uproariously, and in a moment all four of them were howling.</p><p>The flames on the trident died down, and the group enjoyed a nice lunch next to the Sea Gate before Mermista and Sea Hawk returned, only slightly disheveled. Mermista smoothed her hair back, snatching up a piece of bread from the lunch spread and pretending she had never left. Sea Hawk just rocked on his heels, watching her affectionately.</p><p>“Let’s finish this already.” Mermista grumbled, but Adora noted her voice was less monotone than normal. “I want to start work on the rest of Salineas. Adora, are you ready?”</p><p>Adora stood, brushing sand off her pants and giving Mermista a thumbs-up before adopting her transforming pose. “Ready. For the honor… of Grayskull!”</p><p>Becoming She-Ra always felt great, a little like being pulled from all sides and energized at the same time. But ever since she had shattered the Sword of Protection, there had been a little less energy, as if it took more of her to change without its aid. This time, she felt almost completely sapped. She stumbled backwards, and was grateful when Glimmer and Catra reached out in unison to steady her.</p><p>“Whoa, you alright?” Glimmer patted her back, and Catra frowned, her tail fur fluffed up in surprise. Catra’s hand gripped hers tightly, and She-Ra nodded in response, squeezing back gently.</p><p>“Yeah… Sorry. Maybe I didn’t rest as well as I thought.” She-Ra steadied herself, holding one hand to her forehead until the world stopped spinning. After a moment, Bow pushed a glass of something towards her face, and she gratefully accepted it and drained it. Delicious sweet juice. She handed him back the empty cup, flashing him a smile. “Thanks.”</p><p>“Are you okay to keep going?” Mermista asked, the concern in her voice obvious. She-Ra nodded. Mermista sighed with relief. “Sorry. I don’t want you to feel crappy. Just… this needs to be finished.”</p><p>“I know. Thanks, Mermista.” She-Ra held out a hand, and Mermista took it. She looked back to Glimmer, who nodded, and teleported them both to the top of the arch. She-Ra took a shaky breath, and Mermista guided their hands down to touch the metal spirals on the gate.</p><p>“Just like we practiced.” Mermista’s voice trembled, and she cleared her throat. “We channel together. I call to the Pearl, and you heal the gate’s connection with me.”</p><p>“I’m ready. On your mark.” She-Ra began glowing, and Mermista nodded.</p><p>A ribbon of water rose gracefully from the ocean in front of them, laying across Mermista’s shoulders, then trailing down her arm and joining their connection to the Gate. She-Ra focused hard, willing her magic to heal. The stream of water glowed, streaked with blue and gold magic, and time stood still as She-Ra and Mermista waited. And waited. And after an agonizing minute of channeling, the metal criss-crossing the Gate hummed, and shone with a new power, flashing hot white before returning to normal. The two cheered, and their cheers were taken up by the squad below. It carried across Salineas, where the workers clearing rubble in the city joined in. Soon, everyone was celebrating.</p><p>Glimmer popped the two back down to the base of the gate, and Adora shifted back, leaning on Catra for support. Mermista scooped her up into a bone-crushing hug. “Yes!”</p><p>The group crowded together, chatting excitedly about how smoothly that had gone and what their next steps were. Adora tried to keep up with them, but began to waver, and gripped Catra’s waist to steady herself. She felt Catra’s tail wrap around her legs.</p><p>“Adora’s exhausted. I’m taking her to bed.” Catra announced, and everyone took turns clapping Adora on the shoulder and patting her on the back until Catra dragged her out of their reach. On their way back to the tent, Adora felt Catra’s eyes on her, studying her, like she used to do when they were kids.</p><p>“What?” Adora asked, and Catra shook her head.</p><p>“You’re hurt. What happened? I thought She-Ra was supposed to be the all-powerful savior of Etheria.” She couldn’t mask the worry in her voice with sass. Her arm tightened around Adora. They made it to the tent, and Catra helped her out of her clothes, tucking her into their bedroll and brushing hair away from her face. “Adora?”</p><p>“I’m okay. I’m just tired. Transforming has been exhausting lately.” Adora reached out to stroke Catra’s arm, and she saw Catra relax. “Hey, I’m alright, babe. Really. I need a good nap and some more juice at dinner tonight.”</p><p>Catra’s lips brushed against her forehead, and Adora cupped her chin, pulling her down for a kiss. She felt the telltale rumble of a purr start up, and instinctively giggled, causing Catra to pull away blushing furiously.</p><p>“I can’t help it!” She protested before Adora pulled her back down for another kiss, this time deeper. Catra nibbled on her bottom lip, causing her to moan, and they emerged breathless and blushing. Catra smelled like sweat and the sea, but also like tea leaves and lemon. Adora could have her close like this forever. “Ah… Adora…”</p><p>“Catra, will you hold me until I fall asleep?” Adora pleaded, although she knew it wasn’t a heavy ask. She already felt Catra shifting to press against her, an arm draping over her side, and soft kisses dancing across her neck.</p><p>“Always.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Downward Spiral</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Catra deals with old wounds from the Fright Zone.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Adora and Catra spent the next week in Salineas helping Mermista. On their last day, they capped off repairs to one of the city’s warehouses, which the workers then moved their tents into for comfort. Adora wore herself out securing new doors onto the entrance of Mermista’s palace, and Catra taught Sea Hawk how to look for pieces of Horde technology that he could salvage for future projects. The city was far from rebuilt, but it was beginning to take shape in a way that filled them with hope.</p><p>Glimmer met them in the center of the city that evening, and after brief goodbyes, Adora and Catra returned home with her. The next few days were peaceful, and Catra spent many afternoons lounging in Shadow Weaver’s old garden with Melog splayed out in the sunshine nearby.</p><p>On one of these occasions, Catra was surprised to see King Micah approach down the pathway. His presence startled her enough to drop the clippers in her hands, and by the time she had snatched them back up and stood, he was within the gardens proper.</p><p>“Good afternoon, Catra.” His voice was warm and calm, and the fur that had begun to stand on end on the back of her neck settled. For being a weird recluse for so long, he seemed to be finding his footing, she mused to herself.</p><p>“King Micah.” She didn’t bow. What was the point? She respected him, but he wasn’t her boss. Instead she turned back to the bush she had been working on. Shadow Weaver had planted all manner of strange things, and she knew some of them were useful for spells or whatever, but Catra had been spending her time there just making everything look pretty. Even if it messed up their magical properties. She knew this bush in particular had berries that Shadow Weaver had used for potions, and was more than happy to snip them off and toss them into a compost pile to shape up the edges like she wanted.</p><p>“Glimmer was asking after you.” Micah continued, sitting on an ornate stone bench and watching her with curiosity. Catra ignored him, although Melog perked an ear up and trotted over to Micah’s side. Catra heard him chuckle fondly, and when she glanced back, she saw Melog shoving their whole head into Micah’s rough hands for scritches.</p><p>“Melog, don’t bother him,” she grumbled.</p><p>Melog’s mane bristled in response. <em> “Nice. Night snacks.” </em> </p><p>Catra flattened her ears. Night snacks?</p><p>“Was Melog stealing your food while I was gone?”</p><p>Micah laughed at her question, hitting a spot behind Melog’s ears that made them stretch and chirp. “Not at all. I may have snuck them a few treats during our midnight walks, though.” As he spoke the word ‘treats’, Melog perked up, snuffling into his palms as if hunting for goodies.</p><p>
  <em> “Treats now?” </em>
</p><p>“I didn’t think they needed to eat.” Catra put her clippers down, gently sucking a spot on her thumb where a thorn had pricked her and wrinkling her nose at the taste. Those berries had a foul flavor, not unlike the discontinued red ration bars from the Fright Zone. “You said Glimmer was looking for me?”</p><p>Micah nodded, pushing himself back up onto his feet with a groan, and massaged his back with one hand. “Ah, geez… It shouldn’t be so hard to move. Don’t get old.” He chuckled at himself, and Catra wondered if that was a Micah thing, a king thing, or a dad thing. A joke that wasn’t a joke or even funny. He beckoned for her to follow and headed out of the garden. Melog shrank down and Catra scooped them up, slinging them over her shoulder as they purred, and stepped quickly to catch up.</p><p>“Everything’s okay, right?” Catra felt a knot of tension in her chest, and though she kept her voice calm, Melog bristled against her neck. What if they had finally gotten together and decided she didn’t belong? She had grown comfortable here, and maybe she had been too trusting. It didn’t make her feel any better when she watched him shrug ahead of her in response. Micah laughed again, and if Catra had ever seen him be cruel, she would have been offended. She took a slow breath, trying to ground herself. Focus.</p><p>“I think Glimmer got word from Garnet Falls. She seemed to be talking a lot about princess Perfuma.” He looked back at her, and she kept her gaze steady, his words not fully registering. Panic rose within her, even though she fought to suppress it. “I try not to pry. I may be king, but Glimmer is the rightful queen. And she’s my daughter. I shouldn’t get in her business.”</p><p>“She’s lucky.” Catra didn’t expect herself to respond, and she stumbled to a halt as she saw him stop in his tracks. When he turned to face her, his forehead was wrinkled, eyebrows furrowed, confusion clear in his eyes. “To have you. She’s lucky you care.”</p><p>“Catra…” His voice was shaky. Catra scoffed to herself, breaking eye contact to focus on scratching Melog’s mane. Their ethereal magic fur felt cold and wet, a strange sensation that she wouldn’t typically be fond of. However, it helped pull her mind out of that deep, dark place that was so easy to spiral into.</p><p>“Don’t tell her I said so.” Catra pulled Melog off her shoulders and into her arms, and squeezed them tightly. They didn’t protest. She was surprised when Micah placed a hand on her shoulder instead. She flinched, but didn’t pull away.</p><p>“You have nothing to fear,” Micah replied, smiling warmly down at her. She wasn’t sure whether he meant that he would keep quiet, or if he was responding to her fearful movements, or whether he could see right through her into the terror that threatened to grip her again.</p><p><em> “Snack man good.” </em> Melog tucked their forehead against Catra’s neck, and she felt pulses of energy from them matching her own thumping heartbeat. <em> “No scare. Adora?” </em></p><p>“Is Adora with Glimmer?” Catra asked softly. Melog was right. She needed Adora’s presence - the panic wasn’t subsiding.</p><p>Micah nodded, releasing her shoulder, and ascended the stairs back into the palace. Catra followed, eyes darting, until they came to the kitchen. Glimmer was there, chatting over a plate of food, and Junior washed dishes in the background humming a happy tune to himself. And Adora, oh thank goodness, there was Adora, a half-eaten pastry in her hand. Adora waved at her, about to greet her through a mouth full of food, but Catra collided with her so forcefully that all Adora could do was grunt and catch herself to stop them both from falling.</p><p>“Cawtrw?” Adora coughed a bit, swallowing before she cleared her throat and tried again. “Catra?”</p><p>“I know Glimmer has news, but can I steal you for a second?” Catra pleaded, her hands gripping Adora’s tunic and trembling. Without another word, Adora was leading her back to their room, and Catra thanked whatever higher powers were there for giving her a girlfriend that paid attention.</p><p>“Are you okay? That’s going to bruise…” She knew Adora was asking her questions, but Catra couldn’t respond. She could only flop down into their bed, setting Melog on a pillow before pulling her knees up to her chest. “Oh no. Catra...”</p><p>“Hold me. Please.” Catra didn’t know how she got the words out before panic fully overtook her, but she felt Adora sit next to her and hug her tightly. She shook, hardly able to breathe.</p><p>Catra’s panic attacks had gotten worse after Adora left, and even using grounding techniques couldn’t stop them, only delay them. But Adora’s presence helped. She felt like the world was ending, and then Adora’s hand would stroke her cheek, and she would remember they had already faced this end-of-the-world shit and come out just fine. Or a wave of guilt would crash into her, reminding her she wasn’t worth her new life, her new friends, and Adora’s lips would leave a soft warm spot on her back, and she would hold onto that feeling tightly until it pulled her up.</p><p>This one passed after what felt like an eternity, but judging by how Adora hadn’t gotten fully comfortable next to her yet, Catra guessed it hadn’t been too long. When she could breathe again she sobbed, pressing her face into Adora’s chest. “Oh fuck…”</p><p>“Hey, it’s okay, baby.” Adora’s words were soothing, and her hand combed Catra’s hair, scratching at her scalp in a way that made Catra go limp, in a good way. “What happened?”</p><p>“Micah came to get me, and I thought you were kicking me out.” Catra felt Adora flinch under her, and she lifted her head, rubbing tears away before looking into her eyes. “Well, not just you. Everyone. I know he didn’t mean it, but my brain went to a bad place, and…”</p><p><em> “No scare.” </em> She heard Melog chirp from their pillow, and sniffed, reaching out to stroke them. Adora ran her fingers across Catra’s arm, kissing a trail from her shoulder to her neck up to her cheek, before gently cupping her chin to kiss her lips. Catra melted. Thank fuck for hot, sensitive women who for some reason gave a shit about her.</p><p>“You can’t get away from us that easily. You’re stuck with us now.” Adora’s words were teasing as their kiss broke, and Catra buried her face into her girlfriend’s neck, her heart feeling much lighter. “Catra, I love you so much. Whatever has happened or will happen, we’ll work through it, and I’ll be right by your side the whole time.”</p><p>Catra’s reply was another kiss, this time deep, one that left her warm all the way through. Adora cradled her, letting her rest and breathe for a few moments before pulling herself out of bed.</p><p>“Come on, baby girl. Let’s go back to the kitchen, and I’ll get you a snack while Glimmer tells you the good news.” Adora held her by her waist, fingers slipping into Catra’s belt loops. Baby girl. Sweetheart. Love. The warmth stayed. Adora’s pet names were for her. Was she really worthy of them? Adora’s hand straying from her hip to cup her ass certainly made her feel like maybe that was the case.</p><p>When they returned to the kitchen, Glimmer and Entrapta were still talking, and Junior had joined them at the table. Adora sat Catra down, kissing her forehead tenderly before hunting through the cabinets for ingredients. Junior hopped up to join her.</p><p>“Is everything okay, Catra?” Glimmer had stopped talking, and was staring at her now. Catra caught herself starting to scowl, and swallowed instead. That wasn’t fair to Glimmer, she hadn’t done anything wrong. Be nice.</p><p>“I’m fine now. Thanks for asking.” She was surprised to see Glimmer smile in response, and her hand even crossed the table to pat Catra’s.</p><p>“Okay. So hey, great news! Scorpia and Perfuma want us to come help them at Garnet Falls. All of us.” Catra could tell she was pausing to gauge her response, and indulged her by humming in mild interest. Glimmer beamed, and continued. “More specifically, she wants us to help her fortify the Black Garnet, and get rid of all of Shadow Weaver’s old stuff. And, Perfuma is there with her, I thiiiiink they’re a thing now.”</p><p>Ah. Why did that make her feel weirdly happy? “Okay. Why now though?”</p><p>Glimmer exchanged glances with Entrapta, who squealed and clapped the ends of her ponytails together. “Because… They want to host the next Princess Prom there!”</p><p>At this point, Adora rejoined them with a plate of fishcakes that Catra could tell she was incredibly proud of. They were rough-looking, but seemed edible. Junior followed her, trying to put some green piece of garnish on the plate against Adora’s will and protesting loudly. Catra snatched a few up before he could ruin them with vegetables.</p><p>“Because of Adora’s dream? The dream she had while she was dying? That’s a sweet idea, but I don’t want to think about it too much, if you don’t mind.” Catra mused, biting into a fishcake. Oh, they were good. Junior must have helped more than she thought. Adora put the plate down on the table and it was immediately covered in green leafy garnish, and Catra was surprised by how good it smelled when the herbs hit the hot cakes. She snuck another one, ignoring the huge grin Junior was giving her.</p><p>“It was such a nice dream. You were so peaceful, and Glimmer and Bow were so sweet together. Your suit was sexy.” Adora’s voice seemed wistful, and Catra grunted at her, grabbing her hand. Adora’s fingertips drew circles on Catra’s palm, and she flushed.  “I’d love it if we made it a reality.”</p><p>Catra sighed dramatically, though the moment Adora had said she wanted it, her mind was made up. Anything her heart wanted, Catra would make it happen. “You know I can’t say no to you asking me to look sexy. Alright… When do we leave?”</p><p>Glimmer looked thrilled. “First thing tomorrow! Casta is going to protest, but this would be huge for morale across Etheria. And who knows, maybe we’ll even get some new visitors this year! There were always some kingdoms that couldn’t join us, but now that the Horde is effectively disbanded, they can.”</p><p>“If Casta is going to protest, that makes it even better,” Catra drawled, and she felt Adora squeeze her butt in reprimand. She smirked. “Keep that up, Adora, and you’ll be taking me back to our room.”<br/>Adora sputtered in protest, and Catra swore she felt a wave of heat from how hard her girlfriend was blushing. Glimmer laughed with Catra, and the catgirl reached out to grab one more fishcake, only to find an empty plate.</p><p>“What the…” She frowned, looking around in frustration, until she heard a familiar chirp from under the table.</p><p>
  <em> “Night snacks.” </em>
</p><p>“It’s the afternoon, you ass!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Prep for Princess Prom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Adora, Glimmer, and Catra visit Garnet Falls - aka, The Fright Zone. They have a Prom to prepare for, after all. Adora worries over making things perfect for Catra.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Ready to go?” Glimmer’s voice danced sweetly over the courtyard, breaking through the sounds of combat. It caught Adora’s attention and caused her to momentarily drop her guard. In an instant, Catra had her pinned, wooden sword to her throat, a playful fanged grin on her face. Adora swallowed, flushing bright red, and by the way Catra squirmed on top of her, her opponent had noticed. She pushed Catra off, placing a quick kiss on her neck before answering.</p><p>“Let us get cleaned up, then we’ll be ready.”</p><p>Glimmer groaned, but it was hard to pay attention to the queen’s grumbles. Catra had snaked her fingers under Adora’s shirt to trace soft patterns on her side, leaving her dazed.</p><p>“Fine, but don’t take long, you two! Scorpia said she was making us lunch, and I don’t want to be late.”</p><p>Adora waved her off, and the moment Glimmer left, she pulled Catra closer and kissed her. She tasted sweeter than usual today. She felt Catra smirk into her lips, and with a growl, Adora gripped the back of her neck to deepen their kiss. When they parted, it was with gasping breaths and swollen lips.</p><p>“You’re an asshole.” Adora stood, then offered a hand to Catra to pull her up. She took it, and Adora used the momentum to tug her girlfriend into a hug. There were those fingers again, this time on Adora’s abdomen, worming down the front of her pants.</p><p>“Don’t be mad at me just because you let your guard down,” Catra said. If they hadn’t grown up together, Adora would have thought she was pissed. But she was relaxed, non-combative, obviously teasing and not upset. “Besides, it seems like you liked losing.”</p><p>Adora swallowed hard, blushing again. Catra’s nails left trails of flame on her flesh, and when Catra’s other hand brushed the small of her back, her chest tightened. Catra smelled like cinnamon and mint today. Was that a new perfume? “Not fair.”</p><p>“Don’t be a sore loser, babe.” Catra kissed Adora’s chin, pulling her hands away, leaving Adora trembling. She untangled herself from Adora’s arms and headed towards the castle with her hips swaying, tail flicking seductively. A pause, and she turned back, biting her lip as she locked eyes with Adora. Catra’s gaze made her feel like prey. “Come try again.”</p><p>Adora had fire inside, her heart threatening to pound right out of her chest. She followed, unsure of how she was managing to stay on her feet when her legs wobbled like jelly. She trailed behind Catra all the way to their room, mind racing.</p><p>They hadn’t… you know… made love yet. Adora wanted to, that wasn’t an issue. She was sure Catra had wanted to as well, with the way they spoke to each other, touched each other, undressed each other with their eyes. But they had waited so long, been through so much. Every time Adora was pummeled with waves of lust, it never felt like the moment was… she couldn’t even wrap her head around it. Catra deserved something more magical for their first time. Was Catra suggesting they…? Right now?</p><p>She realized she was standing in the middle of their room, staring at an empty point in the space in front of her. Rubbing the back of her neck, she shook herself out of her daze.</p><p>“Adora.” She expected Catra to be in bed already, and was surprised when she saw her on their balcony, her back against the railing, watching her patiently. Adora joined her, feeling awkward and exposed. She stopped in front of Catra, nervously playing with the hem of her tunic. Catra reached out to brush a lock of hair from Adora’s face. “Are you okay?”</p><p>“I don’t want to mess this up.” Oh boy, here we go. She hadn’t wanted to dump all this, but how could she keep from sharing everything with the woman who loved her? “Catra, I want you so badly. I want to show you how deeply I love you. But it needs to be perfect, you deserve something perfect, you deserve…”</p><p>“I don’t want something perfect.” Adora was shocked, and looked up to see Catra smiling at her. Catra’s hand moved to grab Adora’s, and she brought it to her face, rubbing her cheek against Adora’s palm. “I know you, Adora. If you try to make our first time perfect, we’ll never screw. And that would be tragic.”</p><p>Adora wrinkled her nose at the word ‘screw’, making Catra laugh. She kissed the tip of Adora’s nose, and the smell of cinnamon overtook her again. Catra continued, a hint of disappointment in her voice. “It doesn’t have to be right now. In fact, I’d prefer we wait until we have more time. If Glimmer came to find us while you were fucking my brains out, we would never hear the end of it.”</p><p>A pang of sadness hit Adora, which surprised her. The warmth filling her would have to wait a little bit longer. She pressed her forehead to Catra’s, letting herself relax.</p><p>“Okay. I won’t hold back anymore, I promise.”</p><p>“You need to take what you want, Adora.” Catra’s response reignited some of the fire in her. “Be selfish with me. I… I want to give you the world.”</p><p>Adora gave her a kiss, and she didn’t protest when Catra sucked on her lip as they parted. She pulled away, but not before a parting shot. “That’s pretty sappy.”</p><p>“Why am I in love with such an idiot?” Catra chased after her, and the tickle fight that ensued made them just a little bit late.</p><p> </p><p>-+-</p><p> </p><p>The Fright Zone. Or, Garnet Falls now, Adora guessed.  She couldn’t believe she was back here so soon. It looked absolutely nothing like how she remembered. Scorpia had done an incredible job in the few months she had been in control.</p><p>The deep gorges that criss-crossed the landscape were still there, but now vines crept up their walls, dotted with flowers of every color Adora could imagine. The metal bridges had been covered with sod and lined with bushes, and in the distance Adora could see trees, which she assumed Perfuma had been magically growing. The air was thick with the smell of pollen and floral blooms. Even the buildings had transformed, some covered in a fresh coat of bright paint, others completely overtaken with flowers. Any machinery left behind had been repurposed.</p><p>Glimmer spread her arms wide, beaming proudly. “Look how much we’ve done already! Oh, I hope Scorpia finished setting up the palace already. We need a place to plan.”</p><p>“Not everyone needs a war room like you, Sparkles,” Catra drawled, running her hand across a plant-covered trellis that looked strangely familiar. Melog was at her side, and today they had chosen to be large, large enough that Catra could have ridden on their back if she desired. Their mane was pulsing between normal blue and a strange droopy purple that Adora hadn’t seen before.</p><p>Adora found herself staring at everything they passed by as they walked. She was in awe, absolutely, but there was a pang of sadness she couldn’t quite place as well. Nostalgia, maybe? Was that what Catra was feeling as well?</p><p>“It’s weird seeing this place.” Catra continued, and Adora instinctively reached out to take her hand, suspicions confirmed. “Everything is pretty and nothing smells like oil. I kind of wish we could have said goodbye to it before it got improved.”</p><p>Adora quietly agreed, although Glimmer didn’t seem pleased. “You liked it all ugly and metallic?” She asked, a hint of frustration in her voice. She had spent a tremendous amount of time and energy on this, and Adora wasn’t surprised she was upset.</p><p>“No. But it was our home.” Adora cut in before Catra could, knowing full well her reply wouldn’t have been as kind. “We’re happy about this, Glimmer. We just have a lot of memories here, and some of them are good ones. It’s normal for us to grieve a bit.”</p><p>Glimmer frowned, but after a moment, she reached out and placed a hand on Adora’s arm. Adora felt her friend relax a bit. “Sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t think about whether this would be hard on you two.”</p><p>Catra opened her mouth to respond, but was cut short by a huge pair of claws scooping her up into a bone-crushing hug.</p><p>“Catra, you came!” It was Scorpia, and she had Catra completely pinned. Catra’s tail fur stood on end, as did Melog’s. “Oh, this is so exciting. Just wait until you see what we’ve done. I’m so happy, I can’t wait—”</p><p>“Scorpia!” Catra let out a strangled cry, and Scorpia dropped her, concern clear on her face. Catra lay sprawled dramatically on the ground, and Melog flopped on top of her, chirping loudly and licking her face. “Melog, don’t!”</p><p>“Oh geez, sorry Catra. I’m just so happy to see you! Adora, Glimmer!” Scorpia turned to her other friends, and Adora spread her arms, eager to get a hug of her own. Scorpia obliged, grabbing Glimmer at the same time and hugging them together. “Are you as excited as I am? Where’s Bow?”</p><p>“Bow had some business to attend to in Dryl.” Glimmer sounded a bit sad, and Scorpia noticed, keeping her in the hug a bit longer. “He’s helping Entrapta rebuild. They work well together. But he’ll come help us with the rest of the setup before Prom.”</p><p>“Bow’s a great guy.” Scorpia mused, finally setting Adora and Glimmer down. She offered a claw to Catra to help, and Catra pushed Melog off her chest, allowing Scorpia to pull her to her feet. As she dusted herself off, Melog pushed their head into her hand, mane settling back into a soft blue.</p><p>“I’m fine,” Catra said softly, and when Adora glanced at her, she realized she was talking to Melog. Their connection was strong, and Adora wished Catra had met them a long, long time ago. They seemed to help her cope.</p><p>“Let’s go meet up with Perfuma. I made lunch! It’s still lunchtime, right?” Scorpia ushered them towards the palace, with Glimmer apologizing profusely for their lateness. After some reassurance back and forth with Melog, Catra followed, and Adora stayed by her side.</p><p>“Catra. Maybe after we get some planning done, we can go explore. Take one last look at our old room, see what else has been changed.” Adora was surprised when Catra shook her head in response.</p><p>“You can if you want. I’m okay. I have to let go of this place, it’s not my home anymore.” Catra frowned, and one ear flicked towards Melog as they rumbled something to her. “Exactly. Home.. home is…” She stopped, blushing.</p><p>“Home is where?” Adora asked softly, enamored with the way Catra’s skin flushed under her coat of ultra-fine fur. She thought it was extra cute how Melog’s mane had started to turn pink around the edges.</p><p>“It wasn’t home after you left. I guess home’s been with you the whole time.” Catra’s voice wavered a bit, then she looked away, sniffing. “Ugh, that was sappy too, wasn’t it?”</p><p>“Yeah.” Adora leaned over to kiss Catra’s cheek, grinning. “Careful, baby girl. You’re going to start writing love poems if you keep this up.”</p><p>“In your dreams,” Catra shot back, baring a fang.</p><p>They arrived at the palace after a few more minutes, and Scorpia pulled the grand doors open, gesturing for them to go inside.</p><p>“Welcome to the Garnet Falls Royal Palace! It was destroyed when the Horde first arrived and my family gave up the land, so we rebuilt it from scratch.” Scorpia led them through the halls, pointing at the scraps of paintings that had been reframed and the cracked frescos that were being restored. “This is the building with the biggest open room, so even though we’re living in the old dormitories, Perfuma and I thought this would be the best place to hold Prom.”</p><p>“Have your guards found an artist to commission your throne yet?” Glimmer asked, standing atop the empty dais at the end of the hall. Scorpia shook her head.</p><p>“No, and Kyle has been asking around everywhere. He’s good with people.” Catra’s ears perked at the mention of Kyle, and she went to stand by Scorpia, who was standing and staring at Glimmer with her chin resting on a claw in deep thought.</p><p>“Kyle’s here? What about Lonnie and Rogelio?” Adora was surprised to hear Catra inquire about their old teammates. She watched Scorpia click her claws together in excitement.</p><p>“They’re here too! The three of them are my personal guards. Their choice, not mine. They said it felt right to be at home, and they were happy to follow someone who… Oh shoot, what phrase did they use?” She was lost in thought for a moment, then shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Lonnie helps keep us organized, Rogelio is a great bodyguard, and Kyle knows exactly who to talk to in order to get things done. They make an awesome team!”</p><p>Melog’s mane had become red and fuzzy, though not spiky. Adora wondered what that meant. She placed a hand on Catra’s back, and felt the muscles under her fingers tense up for a moment, then release.</p><p>“Ooh, what about the guy who did Mermista’s art?” Glimmer offered, breaking the tension, or whatever weird feeling was hanging in the air. Scorpia stepped closer to her, clapping her claws together.</p><p>“Is the gate done? I haven’t been able to get to Salineas yet. What kind of art?” Scorpia began quizzing Glimmer, who took the questions in stride, and neither of them noticed as Perfuma entered the room. The flower princess smiled warmly at Adora, joining her and Catra at the edge of the hall.</p><p>“Good afternoon, my dear friends.” Perfuma seemed genuinely happy, and she carried herself like she felt right at home. Adora smiled back at her, and even Catra gave her a small wave.</p><p>“Hey, Perfuma! The work you’ve done here is incredible.” Adora motioned towards Scorpia and Glimmer. “I hope you made those two pitch in as well.”</p><p>Perfuma laughed, and the sound made Scorpia pause and eagerly turn towards them. “Oh, they’ve done plenty themselves! Glimmer was essential in getting those awful machines out of the way, and Scorpia…”</p><p>Scorpia had joined them once again, and Perfuma’s hand settled on Scorpia’s arm like it was second nature. Perfuma smiled up at her, both of them blushing furiously. “She’s become an incredible princess already.”</p><p>“Aw, you.” Scorpia rubbed the back of her head with one claw. Perfuma stroked Scorpia’s muscled arm, lost in thought, and Scorpia cleared her throat. “I’ve had a great teacher.”</p><p>“Perfuma, good to see you!” Glimmer called out in greeting, still on the dais, making measurements and scratching down information in a tiny notebook. “Can we go eat? And then we’ll discuss your throne. I bet Sea Hawk would be happy to get his artist friend involved.”</p><p>The group followed Perfuma and Scorpia out of the palace, into the dormitories, where a meal had been laid out for them. Standing silently near the table was an armored Rogelio, who grunted and waved excitedly at Adora and Catra when they entered. Adora grabbed his arm, staring up fondly at him, and Catra waved back.</p><p>“Rogelio! I’m so happy to see you!” Adora exclaimed, and she was thrilled when Rogelio scooped her up into a hug. She laughed, slapping his back, and he squeezed her a bit harder before putting her down.</p><p><em> “Adora. Good to see you. You and Catra?” </em>His words were in his native tongue, raspy and hissing, but Adora had learned a good amount of his language growing up. She nodded, blushing.</p><p>“Yeah, we’re together now. What about you and Kyle?”</p><p><em> “Yes. Kyle and Lonnie and me.” </em> That surprised her. She hadn’t thought Lonnie had interest in either of them. Rogelio tilted his head, sensing her confusion. <em> “Lonnie says we are ‘sexy’ and ‘boytoys’. Kyle has not explained those to me.” </em></p><p>Adora laughed, hugging him again. “They’re good, don’t worry. I’m really happy for you, Rogelio. All of you.”</p><p>Rogelio bared his teeth in what Adora knew was a smile, but anyone who didn’t know him would think it was terrifying. She gave his cheek a fond pat before she rejoined her friends at the table.</p><p>“What was that about?” Catra asked quietly, a concerned look on her face. Adora giggled, patting her hand.</p><p>“I’ll tell you later. It’s good, don’t worry.” She was quick to add, remembering Catra’s panic from the day before. Catra’s expression softened, and she nodded, tucking into the plate of food she had put together.</p><p>“Okay, I hate to mix work and pleasure, but I really want to get this planned out. I don’t want to mess anything up.” Scorpia spoke between mouthfuls of food, tapping her claw against a list she was making. “Princess Prom is in a month. Invites need to go out within the next few days, we need to nail down the food, and find some live entertainment. Thoughts?”</p><p>Glimmer was scratching all of these down into her notebook as well, and chimed in first. “Bow and I can handle invites. My dad probably knows about some kingdoms we lost contact with, and we can use this to rekindle a connection with them.”</p><p>Scorpia nodded, scribbling something onto her list. “Thank you, Glimmer. Oh, this is so exciting!”</p><p>“Live entertainment…” Adora was surprised to hear Catra speak up. She hadn’t thought Catra would get involved. “Like what, music?”</p><p>“Exactly! Something for people to dance to. Although if we wanted to put on a show, that would be fine too.” Perfuma answered this time, giving Scorpia the chance to finish swallowing what she had put in her mouth. “I know some musicians in Plumeria that would help us, but their work is a bit eclectic.”</p><p>“What about Huntara?” Catra mused. Adora stared blankly at her. Catra noticed and pushed Adora’s face away with one hand. “Stop being weird. Would Huntara know any musicians from the Crimson Waste?”</p><p>“Oh!” Perfuma clapped her hands together, her eyes sparkling. “The Valley of the Lost is a vast melting pot, their music would be superb! The citizens there are a bit rough, but if Huntara vouched for them…”</p><p>Catra leaned back in her chair, looking content to disengage from the conversation and continue eating. Adora watched her fondly before chiming in. “I bet Junior and Hordak would cook. Those two are a little insane in the kitchen, but they’ve had plenty of time to practice and invent dishes.”</p><p>“Maybe if we keep Entrapta away from them, they’ll even make the food normal-sized,” Glimmer added, causing Catra to laugh-choke on her food. Adora thumped her on the back until Catra cleared her throat and took a big gulp of water.</p><p>Scorpia scratched everything down onto her list, looking thrilled. “Hordak… food… Fantastic! Now for the decorations!”</p><p>Their discussion continued well into the evening, with multiple trips between the palace and the dormitories. At some point Catra stopped travelling with them, and Adora found her napping in her chair at the table, with a shrunken Melog asleep on her lap. Adora kissed her gently on the forehead, and left her there with stoic Rogelio watching over her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Perfection</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Adora and Catra finally have their 'perfect' first time.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is the story's first sex scene, and I broke it into it's own chapter for everyone's convenience. Please let me know if that helps, and if it's something I should continue to do in the future!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Glimmer teleported them back home that night, with a promise to Scorpia to return in a few days after making more preparations. By the time they got back to Bright Moon, Adora was exhausted. She was fond of Scorpia and Perfuma, and genuinely happy to watch them blossom together, but she felt drained. Catra had woken from her nap refreshed, and went to spend some time in the garden, with a promise to Adora not to stay up too late.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adora was still awake when Catra finally came to bed, and she was not thrilled about her lack of sleep. She was buried in pillows, one arm above her head, her other draped across her stomach, staring up at the ceiling and deep in thought. She had the piece of metal from Salineas, rolling it across her fingers, trying to drain her nervous energy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her thoughts were running together - what would happen when she returned to Mara’s ship? What would they find on Etheria’s moons? And of course, the terrors that might await them deep within Etheria’s core. It took her girlfriend wiggling under the blankets next to her to snap her out of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, babe,” Adora mumbled, looking with fondness at her fuzzy-eared love as Catra buried her face into her neck. She stroked the back of Catra’s head, then pulled her even closer. She had reapplied her perfume, Adora noticed, burying her face in Catra’s hair. The scent of spice was soothing, enticing. Catra’s hand grazed a patch of exposed skin on Adora’s waist, and her core grew hot and tight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Adora.” Catra’s response made Adora flush. Her voice was so soft and tender. Adora couldn’t help herself, and turned to face Catra, capturing her lips in a deep kiss. Catra whimpered in response, cupping Adora’s cheek with one hand. After a few moments, they parted, and Adora felt Catra sigh and relax. “Oh, Adora… I saw that look in your eyes. Where are you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adora slumped, but kept Catra held tight against her. Catra didn’t protest. “Our future. I want to relax and enjoy things, get excited for Prom, but… There’s still so much else to do.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Catra huffed softly, tugging Adora’s hemline up to expose her muscled stomach, and busied herself tracing hearts across her skin as she spoke. “You’re going to end up talking like Casta if you’re not careful. We all need time, you said so yourself.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adora rumbled in response, and she felt Catra’s movements on her skin change. After a moment she laughed, swatting her hand away. “Hey! Quit drawing dicks on me!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Catra smirked, patting Adora’s stomach fondly. “We used to draw them in the barracks all the time, what’s the big deal?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adora’s tension broke, and she barked out a laugh, grabbing Catra’s wrist and rolling her onto her back. She straddled Catra, moving their hands above Catra’s head and keeping them pinned there. Catra’s tail tickled her thigh, and the shit-eating grin on her face grew.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well? What are you gonna do about it, princess?” Catra continued, and that hungry look Adora had seen before came back into her eyes. Adora swallowed. She felt like she was being sucked in, like all the air was being pulled from her body and replaced with thick smoke. She let Catra’s wrists go, and Catra looked momentarily disappointed until Adora leaned down to kiss her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This kiss was deep too, but raw, almost unhinged. Adora wanted every inch of herself touching Catra. She moved to pull off her sleeping shirt, and only stopped when Catra grabbed her hand. Catra pulled out of the kiss, and Adora whimpered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tell me you want this.” Catra took the hem of Adora’s shirt in her hands, staring up at Adora with wide eyes. Adora nodded in response, and Catra scowled, shaking her head. “No, tell me. I need to hear you tell me what you want, Adora.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want you. I want your skin against mine,” Adora stammered. As soon as the words had left her lips, Catra was pulling her shirt off and taking her own off as well. Catra pressed into Adora, arching her back, with Adora still straddling her hips. She kissed Adora’s throat, sending another wave of heat through her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What else? Anything you want. Just say it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let… Let me look at you.” Catra obliged, pulling back, propping herself up on her elbows. Adora ran a hand across Catra’s bare chest, and they shivered in unison.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck, Adora.” Catra stroked Adora’s back, watching her breasts heave as Adora took ragged breaths. “You’re incredible.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Catra.” Adora bit her lip, feeling torn. Catra locked eyes with her again, pressing into her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t get hung up now. What else?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want… I don’t know...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Catra growled, gently nipping Adora’s exposed throat. “Want some options?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adora nodded, unable to speak, overwhelmed. She had thought about making love with Catra before, even tried touching herself to the daydreams, but nothing she had felt before compared to this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, princess. Do you want me to touch you with my hands, or do you want to grind against me?” Catra smirked against her skin. “Or, do you want my mouth on you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adora felt dizzy. She gasped as Catra gripped her hips, keeping Adora pressed tightly against her. It took all of her willpower to respond. “H-hands.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Catra shifted, sliding one hand into Adora’s pajama shorts, fingers grazing Adora’s clit and gliding through her wetness. She kissed her away across Adora’s chest, paying extra attention to her nipples, and Adora grabbed the back of her head with one hand to keep her there. “Mmmmmm, that’s it, Adora... “</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She almost came apart then and there. Adora grabbed Catra’s arm, trembling. “Wait. Too much.” With a concerned look, Catra paused, watching Adora intensely. After a moment, Adora took a deep breath. “Let me grind against your hand. Please?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adora rolled her hips, pushing herself against Catra’s fingers, and bent down to kiss her deeply. Catra kept a hand on Adora’s back, stroking her skin, moving with her. Every time Adora opened her eyes, Catra was there, staring, gazing at her like she was a new star in the night sky.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her head was swimming again. This was good, so good, but she needed more. More of Catra, more of her love, more of that wave of heat crashing into her. “Catra… Your fingers…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about them?” Catra pulled them away, causing Adora to cry out. Not fair. So not fair. Catra brought them to her lips, moaning at her taste, and Adora felt herself clench and cramp.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I need your fingers in me.” Adora barely realized her own words before Catra was on her, flipping her onto her back, tearing her shorts off and pinning her down. The look on her face screamed ‘I know I’m rocking your world, and you bet your ass I’m going to be smug about it forever’. Adora didn’t care, couldn’t care.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s more like it.” Catra’s words were thick and heavy, and she growled possessively into Adora’s ear as she worked a finger inside, pressing the pad of her thumb into Adora’s clit. Adora dug her nails into Catra’s back, a guttural cry escaping her, rocking feverishly against Catra’s hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another finger pushed inside her and curled, and Adora shattered. She arched, shaking, as the world fell apart and pieced itself back together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Easy, princess. I’ve got you.” Catra murmured, and the rubbing and thrusting slowed until Adora was trembling in Catra’s embrace, and her lover pulled her fingers free. Catra’s face stayed pressed against Adora’s neck, and her hot breath wafting over her skin made Adora feel weak again. She kissed Catra’s shoulder over and over, wishing she could fold herself up and stay tucked in Catra’s arms forever.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your touch is better than I could have hoped for.” Adora whispered, running her hands across the taut muscles in Catra’s back. She could feel her girlfriend was still tense. A thought entered her mind - </span>
  <em>
    <span>did I upset her? Was I too much?</span>
  </em>
  <span> - but left quickly when she realized Catra was breathless, trying to move a hand between them. Catra was flushed, gnawing on her own bottom lip, determined. “Oh no you don’t.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Adora…” Catra’s voice still hung thick in the air, but this time it was needy, desperate. Did she really think she would have to get herself off? Not that self-pleasure was a bad thing. Adora was already dreaming about how they could spend time next to each other exploring themselves. But not right now, not like this. Adora moved Catra’s hand away, dipping her own down in its place. Catra was soaked. Adora kissed her gently, rocking her fingers against her lover’s core.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Catra, you are so wonderful. You make me feel incredible. Let me do the same for you.” The cry that left Catra was pained and strangled, and she wouldn’t meet Adora’s gaze. Huffing, Adora gave her a soft slap on the ass, then rolled out from underneath. Catra looked betrayed, until Adora repositioned herself between Catra’s legs, kissing the soft patch of fur above her slit. “Stop being self-deprecating and let me lick your brains out.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s the sexiest thing you’ve ever said.” Catra’s voice was monotone, full of sarcasm. Adora responded by moving her kiss further south, earning her a yelp of surprise. She reached up, gripping Catra’s hips, and started into a rhythm. First soft against her clit, savoring how Catra moaned and bucked against her mouth when she brushed the underside with the tip of her tongue. Then, down to her entrance, more forceful, daring to push in every few passes. Back up, faster now, each jerk from her lover sending a wave of need through Adora’s core.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Soon Catra was frantic, trembling. “Touch me,” she begged, pulling away from Adora’s face. Adora already missed tasting her. She obliged, and at the same time, Catra’s hand returned to Adora. They collided, tangled, all fingers and smooth skin and need. And finally, melted together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took a few minutes before either of them could speak again. Adora barely had the energy to pull a blanket overtop them, and Catra snuggled into her, sighing like the weight of the world had been lifted off her all at once.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See? Perfect.” Catra mumbled into Adora’s chest, letting her hands fall wherever she could keep their skin touching. She paused, tail lashing. “Or at least a solid B plus.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, you’re right. That was perfect.” Even Catra’s playful jabs couldn’t dull how sincere and soft this moment felt. Adora’s heart was so full it threatened to float off their balcony and into the night sky. Catra settled, a soft purr building in her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Catra, did you ever think of me… like that… when we were growing up?” The thought had stuck in her head. She was surprised when it took Catra a while to respond. “I mean, like, touching yourself. Babe?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” Catra threaded her fingers through Adora’s, bringing their hands to her mouth to kiss Adora’s fingertips. Adora felt that fuzzy warm feeling in her brain again. “I always felt guilty afterwards. Like I wasn’t worthy to have you in my mind like that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adora’s heart deflated. She shifted, trying to catch Catra’s eye. “Worthy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re the big hero, and I’m the backup.” Catra stopped, looking up to gaze back at Adora. “Sorry. I know that’s not true. I’m working on it. It’s just… You were the best. And I didn’t think I could ever be your equal, your partner.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re my other half.” Adora stroked Catra’s cheek, listening intently for the purr. It rumbled back to life, setting her at ease. “I couldn’t go on without you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know it seems like I don’t respond when you get mushy on me, princess, but it really does help. It just takes a long time to sink in.” Catra’s answer made Adora’s heart jump up into her throat, and she swallowed hard, willing it back down. “So don’t stop or anything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Even when you tease me about being a sappy idiot?” Adora smirked, earning her a soft thump on the nose. “Hey!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
 <span>Especially </span>
  </em>
  <span>when you’re being a sappy idiot.” Catra settled back down, letting Adora drape an arm over her back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you, Catra.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you too, Adora.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Prom Invites</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Glimmer enlists help for Princess Prom invitations. A kingdom unseen by Bright Moon for many generations receives their invite.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bow returned from Dryl the next day with singed clothes and bright eyes. The mood in the castle somehow felt brighter with him back. Catra wondered if it was some sort of residual magic, the Moonstone reacting to Glimmer’s joy at her boyfriend being home.</p><p>It had been hard for her to peel herself out of Adora’s arms in bed, especially after the night they had shared. Melog stayed curled up at her feet, which made Catra feel better. A little part of her was still there, at least.</p><p>She put on some simple clothes, black leggings and a cropped black shirt with maroon streaks decorating the sleeves. She was restless, with energy to spare after a soothing night and a long sleep. Besides, something smelled good, and it was making her stomach growl.</p><p>Catra soon found the source, a simple pair of plates shared between Bow and Glimmer in the dining room. They seemed excited, especially Bow.</p><p>“Entrapta showed me this incredible machine she’s working on that reacts to heat and transforms!” Bow shoved food into his mouth as he rambled, sketching something out in a notebook and showing it to Glimmer. “Right now it just infuses metal with energy, which was… not ideal. But she thinks with some tweaking, it can create shields, like on Mara’s ship. She’s hoping Adora will let her study it some more.”</p><p>Catra cleared her throat, and the two jumped in their seats. She covered her mouth to hide her smirk, out of respect for her companions. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.”</p><p>“Catra!” Glimmer seemed oddly excited to see her. Yeah, they were friends now, but it was still unnerving to see her former enemy fixing her a plate of food like it was something she had done for years. Glimmer motioned towards an empty seat, placing the plate in front of it. “Come eat with us. Please. I can’t listen to this on my own anymore.”</p><p>“Glimmer…” Bow set down his spoon, disappointed. He tapped the sketch, then slid the notebook towards Catra. “This could help us explore deep under Etheria’s surface. Wasn’t the whole point of rebuilding to get us closer to our bigger mission?”</p><p>Oh, yeah. The whole First Ones thing. Catra saw the use for it, and the idea of working <em> with </em> Adora on something instead of <em> against </em> her was always appealing. But were they really ready to rush off on another adventure that could get them killed?</p><p>“I’m sorry, honey. It is important, and I shouldn’t have made you feel like it wasn’t.” The way Glimmer held Bow’s hand was so sweet and familiar. A year ago, Catra would have gagged. The warm, tender feelings in her chest made her want to go back to bed again. She glanced down at the sketch, poking one of the stick figures.</p><p>“Is this me?”</p><p>Bow leaned over, then nodded, beaming. “Yeah!”</p><p>“Why do I have a bubble over my head?” Catra studied it closer, then wrinkled her nose, pushing it back at him. “Is that my space helmet?”</p><p>He looked thrilled. “You could tell? I thought it was a pretty good likeness.”</p><p>“Alright you two.” Glimmer tore two pages from the notes she had been taking, handing each of them one. “Enough adventure talk. We need to finish Princess Prom invitations so they can get sent out this week.”</p><p>Ah. There was the catch. Catra knew free breakfast and companionship was too good to be true. Bow seemed to agree, grunting through a mouthful of food, holding his list up and squinting. “Who are these people? I don’t recognize a lot of them. And some don’t even have names. Like, who’s the princess of the Kingdom of Sett?”</p><p>Catra tapped her page, her ears drooping. Busy work... Hadn’t she left that behind with the Horde? Memories of late nights with reports began flooding back. “I thought I was helping Adora with… whatever her planning is.” </p><p>“Adora’s helping with decorations and organizing guard duty for the big night.” Glimmer looked pouty. She’d have to suck it up and help. Damn. Having friends was a drag sometimes. “I mean, you don’t have to.”</p><p>“No, I will.” Catra picked her list up, forcing a smile. “Help. I will help. That’s what friends do. I think.”</p><p>Glimmer looked ready to spring from her chair and wrap Catra up in a hug, then seemed to think twice about it, to Catra’s great relief. Catra glanced at Bow, who was still mouthing names, practicing pronunciation or something.</p><p>“Bow, some don’t have names because we haven’t been in contact with them for decades. We have no idea if they still exist, or if they do, who’s in charge. My dad had to dig pretty deep in our records.” Glimmer referenced her own list, which seemed to have more detail than the ones she passed out. “Like this one. The Kingdom of Primordium. The only thing he could find was that they worshipped Etheria like she was a goddess, and that there was a prince named Gills, but that was two hundred years ago. Who knows if they’re still around? Any number of things could have wiped them out.”</p><p>“Do we know where these places are?” Bow frowned, running a hand through his hair. He was letting it grow, Catra mused. “How are we going to get these invitations out?”</p><p>“And what exactly are we doing for the invitations? We can’t address them to specific people.” Catra leaned back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling. “If we wander around the entire planet, we won’t be back until the next Princess Prom, if we’re lucky.”</p><p>Glimmer shrugged. “We have rough locations, so I figured I would teleport us there.”</p><p>Bow reeled at that, squeaking out a “What?!” as Catra narrowed her eyes.</p><p>“No way in hell. That’s dangerous. What if you pop into a kingdom that sees you as a threat?”</p><p>“What if you teleport and the area has an active volcano and you fall into lava?” Bow added, pale at the very thought.</p><p>Catra sputtered, turning to stare at Bow. “That’s your concern? Lava?”</p><p>He crossed his arms over his chest, looking indignant. “Lava is dangerous. Or, what if your magic runs out? I know your connection to the Moonstone is really strong now, but you could end up so far from home that you can’t recharge.”</p><p>“Or your foes have tech that nullify magic.” Catra frowned, rubbing her chin. “I don’t like it.”</p><p>“You’re not my boss.” Glimmer’s reply was snarkier than Catra expected. It made her lean back again, like she was daring Glimmer to continue. “I’m the Queen, and I will do what’s best—”</p><p>Bow shook his head, and when he interrupted Glimmer, Catra felt like she had whiplash. “‘For your people’? Prom isn’t worth risking your life. Don’t pull that crap with us. Yes, you’re the Queen, and we respect that, and you. You’re our leader, Glimmer. That’s why you can’t go running off, being foolhardy, especially not for something like this.” Even Glimmer paused, shocked.</p><p>After a few moments of stunned silence, Catra sighed, rubbing her forehead. She couldn’t keep shitting on Glimmer’s ideas, or she’d be no better than Casta. “What if we asked Entrapta for help? I bet she could make some little robots that could fly the invitations out where they’re needed. It wouldn’t be as fast, but it would be a lot safer.”</p><p>Bow seemed impressed. He was a bit harder for Catra to read, having spent the least amount of time around him compared to Glimmer and Adora. But the way he smiled at her, how the crease in his forehead softened when she helped, made her relax around him. “That’s a great idea, Catra! I’ll ask her tonight!”</p><p>Glimmer had looked chastened by his outburst, but the mention of his evening plans snapped her out of it and made her groan. “You’re going back to Dryl? I just got you back home. I missed you.”</p><p>Bow stood, coming around the table to hug her. He kissed the top of her head, smoothing her hair fondly. “Only for a few hours, to finish piecing together our next prototype. Then I won’t leave you again for a while, I promise.”</p><p>Glimmer seemed to be appeased. “All right, fine. But if we’re doing this, we need to finish invitations today. Robots are going to take longer to deliver these than teleporting, and I promised Scorpia we would have it handled.” She winked out of her seat, causing Bow to tumble forward and catch himself on the back of the chair.</p><p>“Geez, wish she’d given me a heads up…” He stepped back just in time as she returned, zapping back into her seat with a towering stack of papers. She dumped them onto the table, beaming.</p><p>“I’ve already had copies made! We just need to sign, seal, and address them. Bow, you sign.” She shoved a pen and inkwell into his hands, gathering up some of the papers and sliding them to him. Next she pulled out an ornate metal seal and a beautiful candle, handing them to Catra. “Catra, you’re on sealing duty. And I’ll address them. Oooh, this is so exciting!”</p><p>“Darn. I totally told Adora I would spend the morning with her.” Catra started to shift out of her chair, but Glimmer pushed her back down, tapping her nose with one of the invitations.</p><p>“Oh no you don’t. If Adora’s spacey look yesterday was any indication, she had a late night. I’ll bet she’s out like a light, and she’s staying that way.” Glimmer looked smug. Catra was almost impressed—Sparkles was learning. She hammed it up with a dramatic sigh, slumping in her chair.</p><p>“Fine, but I’m going to complain the entire time.” She wouldn’t, but she couldn’t let her new friends set the bar so high this early into their relationship. Otherwise they would start expecting her to help them save the world or something.</p><p> </p><p>-+-</p><p> </p><p>A few days later, far away from Bright Moon, a small drone carrying an invitation was intercepted by a hunter mistaking it for their next meal. They presented it to the city watch when they returned home, expecting a reward and getting none. From there it was brought before a king, ancient, furred, and scarred, sitting on a throne made of old mottled wood and illuminated by candlelight. He was massive, and the way his muscles shifted as he moved hinted to a past filled with battle. At his side was an equally massive guard in pockmarked leather armor.</p><p>In front of him stood his advisor who had just arrived with the invitation, moving with surprising speed for her age. She was a thin and gray-furred woman with bright yellow eyes, and the fur around her ears was stark white and long, framing her face. She broke the seal and read the invitation to her leader, her voice surprisingly loud coming from such a tiny frame.</p><p>Esteemed Ruler(s) of Sett,</p><p>It is an honor to invite you to our upcoming Princess Prom, to be held in the newly established kingdom of Garnet Falls. Our hostess, Princess Scorpia, would be delighted by the presence of your Princess or Prince, with an additional guest of their choosing. The Prom will feature entertainment from across Etheria, delicious food and drink, and the opportunity to form strong bonds with other Princesses and Princes. Prom will begin at twilight on the third day of Elidor’s cresting. Formal attire is preferred but not required. No RSVP necessary.</p><p>Sincerely,</p><p>Queen Glimmer of Bright Moon.</p><p>The crone gently folded the invitation, presenting it to the king with a pained bow. He did not take it, staring off into the distance, his expression difficult to read. His guard, a younger, hulking settian with mottled brown fur, laughed aloud.</p><p>“How jovial. A gathering of royalty from across Etheria.” His voice was not as loud as his elder, and his tone seemed to mock the very idea. “What a waste of resources.” </p><p>The old sow narrowed her eyes at her companion, shaking her head. “Silence. Do not mock, Wes. Show respect, like we would ask them to show us in turn. And do not speak unless your King requests it of you.” This chastened the young male, who flattened his bear-like ears in displeasure. She continued, stepping closer to the throne.</p><p>”King Melinus, perhaps it is best we send the twins. Sett could use the assistance of other kingdoms.” The king shook his head in response, causing her to huff in frustration. Wes tensed, narrowing his eyes at her.</p><p>When Melinus spoke, the air in the room shook from the depth of his voice, and even the guards whispering in the halls outside fell silent. “Etheria has forgotten us. We should make sure that continues.”</p><p>The sigh that escaped him was deep, rasped, as if breathing had grown too difficult to bear. He beckoned for her to rise, then waved her away, resting his chin on his fist as he gazed into the distance. “See to it that my cubs do not catch wind of this, Basri. Especially Sorrell. She is… audacious, like her mother once was.”</p><p>“As you command, King Melinus.” Basri’s displeasure was evident on her face, but her tone was dutiful. She tucked the invitation into her robes and rose from her bow, motioning for Wes to follow. Once the two had left, Melinus sighed again, rubbing his chest and closing his eyes.</p><p>
  <em> Queen Glimmer of Bright Moon… What a troublesome position you’ve gotten yourself into. </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Plumeria</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Best Friends Squad travel to Plumeria to assist Perfuma.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The afternoon sun peeked over the treetops, causing the morning dew to evaporate and form a thin mist across the courtyard in Bright Moon. Adora stretched, wiping sweat from her brow and working kinks from her muscles as she surveyed their progress. The crew had spent the morning loading crates of supplies onto carts, and it seemed like they were almost ready to head out. They would be driving the food and building materials to Plumeria to help the villages near Perfuma’s home. Her kingdom had taken a beating during the Final Battle, but as most of it was made up of plants, her people had been rebuilding (or rather, re-growing) on their own without issue. But according to Perfuma’s most recent communication, that situation had changed. </p><p>“Are you sure we don’t need more rope?” Glimmer had been pacing all morning, but now the queen had a checklist and was going over each crate. Adora was grateful she was putting that nervous energy to use. Catra was being her sounding board, following Glimmer around with sleepy Melog tucked into a bag slung across her back.</p><p>“Perfuma makes vines grow. That’s easier for her to repair than rope.” Catra’s voice sounded tired. Was that why Melog was so sleepy? It was something Adora was still puzzling out - Melog had so quickly attached themselves to Catra, but surely they were their own being. How much of their mood and energy was a reflection of her? Adora bent to grab another crate, ignoring the screaming of the muscles in her lower back.</p><p>“I just don’t want to mess this up. Perfuma has done so much for us and for Garnet Falls. Her people deserve the best we can offer.” Glimmer set her checklist down, staring at Catra. It was a look Adora hadn’t seen for a while, wild and scared. Adora loaded the crate and made her way over, her heart dropping through her stomach. To her surprise, Catra pulled Glimmer into a hug.</p><p>“You’re a good leader, Glimmer.” Catra’s voice was soft and soothing. Adora hadn’t heard her like this before. It was almost like… Almost like the tone she used when Catra was panicking. She watched Melog perk up a bit, leaning their head back to try and get a glimpse of what was happening. Catra pulled away, hands on Glimmer’s shoulders, determination on her face. “Perfuma knew you would do your best. That’s why she asked for your help. You’re doing fine.”</p><p>Glimmer seemed to perk up, and Adora’s stomach unwound. She nodded, giving Catra a tight smile before grabbing her clipboard. “Thanks, Catra.”</p><p>“Don’t mention it.” Catra grimaced, shifting the bag as Melog settled back down. “Really. Because I will deny it until the day I die.”</p><p>“Too bad I witnessed the whole thing. I’ll back Glimmer up,” Adora added, leaning against the cart they were inspecting.</p><p>Catra glared. “I thought the point of dating someone was to have their best interests at heart?” She poked Adora’s chest, her nose wrinkled in frustration. Adora laughed, grabbing her hand and kissing it, making Catra blush and yank it away.</p><p>Glimmer had her upper half inside a crate, and her voice echoed out of it. “You can’t escape having friends.”</p><p>“Catra…” Adora paused, chewing her lip as she thought of how to phrase what she wanted to say.</p><p>Catra waved her hand dismissively, hovering near Glimmer for a peek at the checklist. “I know, I have to open up or whatever. I’m trying, but baby steps.” She tugged on Glimmer’s shirt, brow furrowed. “C’mon, Sparkles, get out of there. We’ve got more to check before we can go.”</p><p>“Coming, coming.” Glimmer pulled herself free, dusting off her clothes and heading for the next cart. Catra followed, leaving Adora alone. She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck.</p><p>It was silly, but she wanted to ask Catra to go to Prom with her. Obviously they would be going together, Catra made that clear when they discussed their plans. She had agreed to wear a similar outfit to what had been in Adora’s dream, even though Adora never asked her to. Catra was excited, in her own way. But still, Adora wanted to make it official. Catra deserved that. If she waited too long, she would fall into the same trap as before - trying to make it too ‘perfect’. Maybe this just wasn’t the right time.</p><p>Some shuffling from behind Adora broke her out of her trance. One of the Bright Moon guards had arrived, leading a humongous beetle the size of a horse behind her. Adora recognized this guard. Her name was Tempest, and she had been one of Queen Angella’s favorites before her passing. Tempest’s hand settled on the beetle’s carapace, stroking it fondly, though Adora wasn’t sure how the giant bug could feel it through its exoskeleton.</p><p>“Oh, Tempest! Thank you.” Adora raised a hand up to the beetle’s face awkwardly, as if to let it sniff her, and Tempest laughed.</p><p>“Of course, Lady Adora. Ah… Goliath won’t be able to smell you like that.” Tempest tapped the beetle’s side a few times, and it settled down onto the ground, antennae flopping forward across its huge eyes. Tempest gently took Adora’s hand, pressing her palm to Goliath’s antennae. It shifted for a moment, then relaxed. “There. Dire Beetles smell with their antennae. He knows you now.”</p><p>“Honestly, I was just going to pull them myself as She-Ra…” Adora traced her fingers over Goliath’s shell, fascinated by how it felt. She thought it would be hard and scaly, but it felt a lot like taut leather.</p><p>“With every ounce of respect, ma’am, there’s a half dozen carts here. I have no doubt you could do two or three on your own, but making two trips would waste a lot of your time. And besides, Goliath needs the exercise. He’s been getting lazy.” Tempest pulled her helmet off, tucking it under her arm and wiping her brow. The beetle, recognizing his name, stood and bumped his head against Tempest’s back. She laughed, pushing at his face. “Easy, you!”</p><p>That was true. Adora hadn’t thought that far ahead. She-Ra wasn’t the answer to everything, she supposed. She smiled at Tempest, bowing her head slightly in respect. “Thanks, Tempest. I wasn’t thinking about that. You’ve saved me a lot of trouble.”</p><p>“Master Bow said he’ll be out shortly to join you. This lunkhead will sit still for you.” Tempest looped the reins loosely around a branch, patting Goliath fondly. She slipped her helmet back on and gave Adora a snappy salute. “Best of luck to you, ma’am. Give the Plumerians our well-wishes.”</p><p>“Will do.” Adora watched as the guard left, and as soon as she did, Goliath flopped back down with a huff. Chuckling, Adora went back to her work.</p><p> </p><p>-+-</p><p> </p><p>The trip to Plumeria was a bit lonely. Sure, Bow was technically with her the whole way, but he kept darting ahead to ‘scout’, mumbling to himself about wanting to test his new arrows. Catra and Glimmer had teleported ahead, and She-Ra missed them both. At least hearing Goliath snuffle behind her was oddly soothing. When they were close, Bow reappeared, grinning widely.</p><p>“Can you cut that out?” She-Ra panted. It worried her that she was so exhausted. She was supposed to have boundless energy in this form. Maybe pulling carts was a different kind of tiring than fighting. That made sense, she guessed. </p><p>Bow ignored her tone, holstering his bow on his back and pointing off in the distance. “We’re almost there! And it looks like Perfuma got a party going for us. I can smell her little cucumber sandwiches from here.” He ran back to Goliath, doing a cursory check on the beast’s trappings and leading up the rear. She-Ra rolled her eyes at him as he passed.</p><p>“This trip would have felt a lot smoother if you hadn’t left me alone,” she complained, though Bow wasn’t paying attention. He had disappeared again. She-Ra groaned. “Bow? Are you serious?”</p><p>“Keep going!” His voice called out from the treeline, and she heard his footsteps get further away. She had half a mind to throw the cart handles down and leave him to deal with the fallout. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she started back up, deciding to spend her time chatting with her <em> new </em> best friend, the dire beetle who didn’t understand humanoid language.</p><p>“Goliath, you need to talk to him next time. He obviously isn’t picking up the hints I'm dropping.”</p><p>
  <em> Snuffle. Snort. </em>
</p><p>“I know. Can you believe it? I’m not exactly hiding how I feel.”</p><p>
  <em> Grunt. </em>
</p><p>“You’re so right, Goliath. I’m <em> so glad </em> to have you as my <em> new and only best friend </em>,” She-Ra called out as loudly as she could. No response from Bow. Damn him.</p><p>As she pulled the cart into the giant grove, Plumerians swarmed around her, cheering and throwing strands of flowers. They took over her carts, untying the ropes binding them together and pairing off to get them where they were needed. One young girl climbed onto Goliath’s back, and he didn’t seem to notice her presence as he was led off. Adora changed back, bending over to catch her breath, and someone offered her a glass of something cool and sweet which she chugged. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve, and when she straightened up, it was Perfuma’s hand taking the glass back.</p><p>“Adora! We’re so happy to see you!” Perfuma hugged her, and Adora returned the hug, apologizing profusely for being sweaty. When they broke away, Adora cleared her throat, glancing around at the crowd.</p><p>“Thanks, Perfuma. Where are the others? Bow was ahead of me…”</p><p>Perfuma gently took her by the arm, leading her away from the crowd and into one of the intact tents in the grove. Inside sat Catra and Glimmer, hunched over a table and examining a piece of plant-like material together. Catra’s ears perked up, and she leapt up to kiss Adora, then pulled a face.</p><p>“Babe, you reek. Euch, and you’re covered in sweat.”</p><p>“Love you too.” Adora hugged Catra, to the magicat’s great displeasure. Glimmer gave her a small wave, and Adora let Catra go, settling down at the table next to them. Perfuma had already sat down and was watching them with interest. “Where’s Bow? He was ahead of me, the bastard. He kept running off on his own.”</p><p>“Last I saw, he was getting food. He said he would meet back up with us.” Glimmer didn’t seem surprised when Adora groaned. “He was talking about his arrows, wasn’t he?”</p><p>“A little. What little bit he spoke to me.” Adora crossed her arms, then leaned forward, staring at the strange plant. “What’s this?”</p><p>Perfuma scooped it up, though it nearly fell apart in her hands. It looked like a vine, but the outside had been completely covered by strange scales. By the way it was flaking apart, it was either dried out or scorched. Adora had never seen anything like it. Perfuma looked sad, cradling it to her chest.</p><p>“We’ve been trying to cultivate new saplings from the Heart-Blossom. They wouldn’t hold the same power as my runestone, but the wood from the Heart-Blossom is incredibly durable. We were hoping to turn its children into homes in the future.” She laid the vine back down, and it cracked in half with a metallic clank. A look of deep disappointment fell over her.</p><p>“This is one of the vines I was using to stabilize a sapling. The other vines turned out the same. Plumeria is rejecting its own mother-tree.” Perfuma looked like she might cry. Adora reached over to place a hand on her shoulder. “We’ve tried this in the past, and there were no issues. The saplings were burned up when…”</p><p>Bow returned to the tent at this point with a mouth full of food, and made happy noises at Adora. When he noticed that the mood of the tent had shifted to a dark place, he made his way over to a seat next to Glimmer and sat quietly with his snack haul.</p><p>“So this is new behavior?” Adora touched the plant, sifting through the bits to find a scale. It felt strangely heavy and smooth. She moved it around between her thumb and forefinger, her mind blank. She didn’t even know where to begin on this.</p><p>“Yes. The Heart-Blossom has never responded like this to anything before. Not even to being poisoned by the Horde. And I don’t understand why it dried my vines out like this.” Perfuma’s voice shook. Adora placed the scale down with a ‘click’.</p><p>“When did this start?” This time, it was Glimmer who spoke. She took notes, scribbling furiously in her notebook. Adora leaned over to be nosey, and noticed she was even sketching out the plant. She hummed in approval. Glimmer gave her a playful shove. “Knock it off, stinky.”</p><p>“The day I returned from Garnet Falls.” Perfuma put her hands in her lap, rocking back and forth slightly. “Scorpia told me she felt guilty for keeping me so long, but we were enjoying our time together, and everything was fine here. When I got back, I spent the afternoon trying to encourage the saplings to grow, and by nightfall they were dead and my vines…” Her voice cracked.</p><p>“We’ll figure this out, Perfuma. Don’t worry.” Bow had swallowed his snacks and put his arm around Glimmer’s waist, his eyes shining with excitement. “And then you’ll be able to grow the best Heart-Blossom babies Plumeria has ever seen!”</p><p>Perfuma smiled fondly at him. “Thank you, Bow. Thank you all, my friends. I want this resolved quickly so that my people won’t suffer. I….” She paused, flushing. “I would like to return to Garnet Falls soon, or have a home here for Scorpia to feel comfortable in when she visits.”</p><p>Catra grinned, nodding in approval. “Nice.” Adora elbowed her, careful not to hit Melog in their bag. Catra scowled in response.</p><p>“We’re very happy for you both.” Glimmer was beaming. “I wasn’t sure about Scorpia at first, but she’s wonderful. And you deserve someone wonderful, Perfuma.”</p><p>Perfuma’s blush deepened, and she covered her mouth with one hand. “You’re all very kind. I want to have you start helping as soon as possible, if that’s okay. I know there’s a party being held for you…”</p><p>Bow pumped his fist in excitement. Glimmer put a hand on his fist to push it down, shaking her head at him as Perfuma continued.</p><p>“But if something is wrong with the Heart-Blossom, we need to act fast. The magic flowing through it touches everything in Plumeria.” Perfuma’s face fell. “It could end up harming our crops, or allowing the wild things in the woods to run rampant.”</p><p>“Wild things?” Adora asked softly, now even more frustrated with Bow for abandoning her. Bow swallowed, seeming to realize his mistake at the same time.</p><p>“There are beasts in the woods, ones that have hunted us in the past. Terrible creatures who kill for pleasure, not for survival. When my grandmother ruled Plumeria, she used the Heart-Blossom to create borders to keep us safe.” Perfuma sighed, shifting in her seat. “We haven’t had an attack for over a century. I don’t want that to change.”</p><p>Glimmer slapped her hand against the table in a gesture meant to be serious, but it seemed to sting a bit, as she mouthed ‘ow’ and pulled it away to shake it. “Don’t worry, we’re on the case!”</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. A Threat Revealed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Best Friends Squad learn some concerning information about the dangers facing Plumeria, and Etheria as a whole. Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Sett, the royal twins make plans to join the rest of the kingdoms at Princess Prom.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“None of this feels right. I’m not sure where to start.” Adora leaned against a tree outside the tent, arms folded over her chest. Perfuma’s words were concerning. If the Heart-Blossom was failing, Plumeria would fall, and the rest of Etheria would follow suit. What worried her more was that the whole thing sounded familiar.</p><p>“This can’t be natural. I’ve never read about anything like this before.” Bow paced in front of them, hands behind his back, staring down at his feet. “Plants growing weird things, sure, but not scales.”</p><p>“Perfuma’s magic is strong. If this <em> was </em> natural, she would have been able to overcome it without us,” Glimmer added, rubbing her chin. “No, something is definitely off.”</p><p>Catra had Melog out of her bag, cradling them in her arms and stroking their back. “You guys are looking at this all wrong. Come on, Adora. Think like they taught you in the Horde.”</p><p>Adora’s chest tightened. She began to tell Catra off, but Glimmer beat her to it.</p><p>“Catra, the Horde messed you two up. Why in the world would you want to remember anything they taught you?”</p><p>Catra’s growl surprised Adora, who flinched at the sound. “Get over yourself, Glimmer. Who do you think taught Adora how to fight? Do you really think she’d be standing here with us if the Horde hadn’t raised her to win?”</p><p>“Wait.” Adora held a hand up, and Catra fell silent. Glimmer’s face scrunched, as if she was physically holding her mouth shut. “No, Catra’s on to something. The Horde taught us how to fight, how to think like the enemy.”</p><p>“There’s no enemy. The Horde is gone.” Glimmer sounded exasperated. </p><p>Bow reached out to take her hand, and after a few moments, she gave it a squeeze. “I know it seems that way, but… We don’t know that there’s not an enemy in this situation, Glimmer.”</p><p>Catra paused, ears shifting down, locking eyes with Melog for a moment. They tilted their head at her, giving her a reproachful mewl, and she sighed. “Go ahead, Adora.”</p><p>“This isn’t natural. So someone or something is making it happen. It only started happening when Perfuma used her magic, nothing was wrong before then.”</p><p>“You’re right, Catra,” Bow added. She perked up, looking thrilled momentarily - as if she wasn’t used to how freely praise was given with this new set of friends. “This goes deeper. Something is wrong in Plumeria.”</p><p>“What about Garnet Falls?” Catra frowned, and her strokes across Melog’s back slowed. “If this is tied to Perfuma’s magic, nothing bad happened there while she was helping Scorpia.”</p><p>The four went quiet. Melog broke the silence with a string of chirps, and Catra reeled backwards, nearly dropping them. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?” She seemed to realize everyone was staring at her, and scowled in response. “What? Don’t you think that’s a big deal?”</p><p>They continued staring. Catra scratched at her ear, embarrassed. “Oh. I forget you can’t hear them. Melog says they sensed magic around Plumeria.”</p><p>“Yeah, the border. Perfuma told us about it.” Bow stared into the distance, in the direction of Bright Moon. “The one that is keeping the beasts at bay.”</p><p>“No, they said it was different.” Catra put Melog down, and they continued chirping at her. She flattened her ears, focusing intensely on them. ”...Like the scaled vine. They say it felt like the vine and the things behind the border were… Slow down, bud.”</p><p>Melog stopped, then started back up, deliberately pausing between chirps. Catra rolled her eyes. “Don’t be an ass. Okay. The scaly vine and the magic behind the border are connected.”</p><p>“Are you sure?” Adora kneeled down to stare at Melog. They stared back unblinking, mewing once in response.</p><p>“Yes.” Catra answered for them, frowning. “So, where does that put us?”</p><p>“We should find out more about the beasts, and the border itself.” Bow rubbed his chin, glancing around the clearing. “Maybe Perfuma’s grandmother could help us?”</p><p>“I don’t think she’s alive anymore, Bow.” Glimmer’s voice was soft and sad, and Adora was tempted to reach out and hug her. She knew the loss of Angella was something Glimmer still struggled with.</p><p>“There has to be someone around who was alive when the border went up. Or at least heard stories about it.” Catra noticed Glimmer’s mood shift as well. Giving her a new task to focus on was smart, Adora thought to herself.</p><p>Glimmer nodded in approval. “Let’s ask Perfuma who we can talk to.”</p><p>Catra and Glimmer headed back towards the tent, Melog in tow. Adora listened to them bicker on the way, though their tones seemed blunted. They had found something less divisive to argue about, she suspected. She watched them fondly until Bow got her attention by clearing his throat.</p><p>“Adora.” He kicked a clod of dirt, clearly embarrassed. “I’m sorry for abandoning you on our trip over. I got so excited about these new arrows Entrapta helped me make, and about going on a new adventure, and I totally screwed up.”</p><p>Adora took a deep breath, trying to let go of the tension she’d been holding onto. It didn’t feel right staying mad at her friend. It wasn’t fair to him. “It’s fine, Bow. You didn’t know there were monsters out there.”</p><p>“Yeah, but you were doing hard work, and it was probably lonely.”</p><p>“Bow…” Adora started, then tried to decide if now was really the time for it. It had to be. “She-Ra has been draining me lately.”</p><p>“Draining you?” His eyes widened, and he went pale. “How? Why? Adora, that’s really bad.”</p><p>“The first time I transformed after the Final Battle, at Salineas, it hurt. And I felt exhausted while I did it. It took almost a full day of sleep to feel normal again. It didn’t hurt as bad today, but I am really tired.” Adora watched the worry on Bow’s face grow. “I’m okay right now, but something is up. She-Ra isn’t as powerful as she used to be.”</p><p>“This is awful.” Bow rubbed his face with both hands. “What did Catra and Glimmer say?”</p><p>“I… haven’t told them yet.” Adora grimaced. Bow’s jaw dropped. “I know, I know! But Glimmer has enough to worry about with all of our rebuilding projects, and Catra…”</p><p>“You don’t want Catra to be scared.” Bow nodded, still worried, but there was a flash of understanding in his eyes. “You’ve spent a lot of time looking after her, haven’t you?”</p><p>“We took care of each other, but this isn’t something she can fix for me.”</p><p>Bow pulled Adora into a hug, squeezing her tight before letting go. “Just promise me you’ll say something if it gets worse, okay? You shouldn’t have to suffer on your own.”</p><p>As Adora started to agree, Melog, now normal-sized, bounded towards them, something hanging out of their mouth. They collided with Adora and Bow, proudly displaying their prize. It was a cinnamon bun, half-eaten and a little dirty, and they waved it in Adora’s face. Adora shoved them away, narrowly avoiding a face full of sticky icing.</p><p>“Melog! Yuck, no!”</p><p>Ignoring the protests, Melog started back in the direction they came, then looked back with a <em> mrrr? </em> as if beckoning them to follow.</p><p>Bow helped Adora to her feet, shaking his head. “Speaking of suffering…”</p><p>Adora barked out a laugh and helped Bow brush some dirt off his back. Melog waited, glaring at both of them until the two began to follow. Melog’s thick paws left wide imprints in the loamy soil of the clearing, creating a trail weaving between tents and trees that Adora and Bow could have followed with ease. But Melog never strayed far, urging them on with chirps every time they got held up.</p><p>Melog led them past a few stalls (one in particular cooed to them, offering up another pastry, but they resisted the temptation) to an older tent, smaller in size than Perfuma’s. The entrance was worn, and the posts were heavily decorated with paint and beaded braids. Adora heard Catra and Glimmer’s voices inside, along with someone she didn’t recognize who sounded agitated. Adora slipped through the tent flaps, Bow right behind her.</p><p>Inside was a low table, surrounded by cushions, with an ornate plush rug underneath. Catra and Glimmer were seated around it, and across from them sat an old woman, furiously weaving a basket from some dried fibers. Adora could feel the tension radiating from them, especially the old woman. It looked like she might fall apart if she trembled any harder. Catra’s tail was lashing, and Glimmer had her face in her notebook. Adora made a mental note to take that thing away from her.</p><p>“What’s going on?” Adora stayed standing, placing her hands on Catra’s shoulders. Catra gave her arm a gentle pat.</p><p>“This is Lily. She was friends with Perfuma’s grandmother.” Glimmer looked up from her notes, motioning between Lily and Adora. “Lily, this is Adora.”</p><p>“The She-Ra.” Lily set her basket down, staring at Adora, her presence seeming to steady the old woman’s nerves. “Tell your friends to leave me alone.”</p><p>“We just want to know about the border.” Catra huffed softly, crossing her arms over her chest. Adora gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “And whatever beasts are out there. It’s important.”</p><p>“Don’t speak of them.” Lily tensed, fidgeting with her hands. “They’re minions of the old one. Speaking too much of them gives him power.”</p><p>Glimmer bit the end of her pen, nodding along with Lily’s words. “Who is the old one? If he’s the one causing the issues with the Heart-Blossom, we need to find him and make it stop.”</p><p>Lily shook her head, lips pursing. “It’s best you don’t ever learn more. Even thinking of him can grant him strength. Stop this foolishness and leave Plumeria in peace, before you bring more misery down upon us.”</p><p>Catra scowled and leaned forward, though by this point Melog had settled on her lap, keeping her from shifting too far. “Something bad is already happening. If it’s the work of this ‘old one’, we need to know so we can stop him.”</p><p>Lily shook her head again. This time, she kept quiet, even when Bow took a knee next to her.</p><p>“Ma’am, please. If we don’t find out what’s affecting the Heart-Blossom, the border could fall, and the rest of Etheria could suffer. If you could tell us anything, it would be doing all of Etheria a great service.” His tone was respectful, something Catra and Glimmer were having a hard time showing to the elderly woman.</p><p>Lily took a long time to digest what Bow had said. They all sat in silence for a while, watching her struggle internally, fidget with her basket, even push herself to her feet to move around. Finally, she pulled a small jar from a chest by her cot, and popped it open. The scent of herbs and salt immediately filled the tent. She shuffled outside, and after a few minutes returned, leaving a trail of the salt blend behind her. Capping the jar, she placed it on the table and took a deep, trembling breath.</p><p>“Listen carefully, as I will not say this a second time. And do not write this down, child.” She gave Glimmer a pointed look, and to her credit, Glimmer placed both pen and paper down and shoved them away from herself. Lily waved her hand outside at the salt. “This will protect us, but not for long.”</p><p>The old woman produced a map from her chest, spreading it across the table. She reached up and plucked a stem from a bundle of plants hanging from the ceiling, broke it in half, then used it to trace a circle around the imagery of Plumeria upon it.</p><p>“Most people hear the word ‘border’ and think it looks like this. You all came from Bright Moon, you know there’s no physical border around us.” Lily paused to make sure everyone was listening, and seemed pleased with the unbroken stares she was receiving. She continued, using the stem to smudge the circle out into wavy lines leading into Plumeria.</p><p>“The border is more like a shield. It’s protection, blocking us from creatures that come from other planes. Creatures like the beasts, the minions of Ysimer.”</p><p>Something about that name sent a cold spike through Adora, as if her blood had frozen over. Maybe it was the soft tones Lily used when speaking his name, or maybe it was how Bow shuddered. Regardless, Adora tried to shake it off.</p><p>Lily continued, placing the stem down. “Ysimer sends his minions to destroy us, to eat away at us until nothing is left. And when we think of him and his ilk, it gives them power, allows them to take part of our mind. Perfuma’s grandmother, may she rest in peace, understood that. She lied to the people of Plumeria, calling Ysimer’s minions by different names and blocking them from entering our world, so that over time none would remember him.”</p><p>Glimmer had gone pale. Even her hair had lost its sparkle.</p><p>“She was a hero. But now, if Ysimer is growing in power, he may be able to spread his influence through the border.” Lily sat down, gripping the table as she stared at the map. “Children. Heed my warning. Do not throw away the gift she gave us.”</p><p>“How do we fight something that we can’t learn about?” Bow sounded utterly defeated. Lily shook her head.</p><p>“Our time is up. The salt circle has power, but lacks longevity. Think no more on this, and leave me be.” She waved her hands at the five of them, and began to gingerly fold the map back up. Catra was the first to stand, giving her a polite bow before pulling Adora out of the tent. Melog, Bow, and Glimmer followed quickly, with Bow mumbling a quiet ‘thank you for your time’ on the way out.</p><p>They wandered for a bit until they found a quiet spot, all flopping down into the soft clover and staring at the ground in dismay.</p><p>Glimmer groaned, flinging herself backwards and letting her arms flop out. She shut her eyes, kicking her feet in frustration before going limp. “How? How do we even begin to face something like this?”</p><p>Catra plucked a few pieces of grass, trying to mimic the movements of the old woman and her basket-weaving. “We’re not here to face some great unknowable evil. We’re here to help Perfuma grow a tree.”</p><p>“We can’t ignore this!” Glimmer put an arm over her face, groaning again, this time louder. “That can’t be the solution, it just can’t. We’re better than that.”</p><p>“Let’s not diminish what Perfuma’s grandmother did. It must have taken a lot of courage.” Bow laid down as well, putting his head on Glimmer’s stomach. She reached down to stroke his hair.</p><p>“Yeah. It must have been lonely, too. Imagine knowing about something awful and never being able to talk to anyone about it.” Catra mused, now trying to braid Melog’s mane. It wasn’t working, for obvious reasons.</p><p>“One step at a time, guys.” Adora pulled her knees to her chest, staring off into the distance. “If something is weakening the border, let’s try to heal it. I can use She-Ra, and see if that helps. And if the border is what’s interfering with Perfuma’s magic, that might be the end of it.”</p><p>“Are you sure?” Bow lifted his head to stare at Adora, and she nodded, giving him a pointed look in response.</p><p>“Yes. Let’s talk to Perfuma about it, minus the old god stuff. Then I’ll get started.”</p><p>Bow frowned, but he lowered his head back down, sighing softly. Glimmer twisted her fingers around in his hair, staring up at the sky. “Bow, do you think your dads have any information on Ysimer?”</p><p>“Probably not, if he’s some horrible deity no one knows about. But it’s worth a try. I owe them a visit anyways.” He cringed, rubbing his eyes with one hand. “Oh no…”</p><p>“What?” Glimmer sat up, concerned. Bow shook his head.</p><p>“Sorry, nothing major. Well, kind of major. Uh…. I forgot to tell them about us.”</p><p>Glimmer flopped back down, quiet for a moment, then laughed aloud. Bow flushed bright red.</p><p>“It’s not funny! We’ve just been so busy and everything with us felt so natural and…”</p><p>Glimmer kept laughing, pulling him close. “We’ll go together, then.”</p><p> </p><p>-+-</p><p> </p><p>Wes, personal guard to the royal twins, spent his night where he always did — dozing outside of the twins’ shared bedroom, flinching awake at each sound. Tonight had been calm so far, and he had enjoyed a good few hours of sleep, until slow, deliberate footsteps approached.</p><p>Basri, Advisor to the King, made her way through the halls of the Sett royal palace. Her steps were aided by an ornate wooden cane in her paw. Other guards stepped aside for her, bowing with respect. It wasn’t until she came to Wes that she was met with resistance. He gripped his spear and stared her down, hackles raised. The advisor didn’t visit the twins at this time of night. No one did, he made sure of that.</p><p>“King Melinus told you to leave them out of this.” Wes’ voice was hushed. His golden eyes narrowed, and though he was more man than beast, his lip curled back to bare his fangs. He was not about to let the advisor disrespect his liege unchallenged.</p><p>Basri paid him no mind. There were far more fearsome badgerfolk in Sett than the twins’ guard, despite his posturing. As close as Basri was to the King, he imagined she had met plenty of them in her long years. She grunted, pushing past him into the grand bedroom as his protests grew louder.</p><p>“Advisor, don’t—”</p><p>“Silence, Wes. Leave the thinking for those with brains,” Basri snapped. She tried to slam the door in his face, but Wes held it ajar, muscles tight under his dusty brown fur.</p><p>“The King gave you a direct order. You can’t truly intend to go against him,” Wes grunted, shaking her paw loose from the door. She gave up, stepping further inside. After a moment, Wes huffed in frustration and followed her in, shutting the door behind him.</p><p>“Melinus no longer knows what is best for Sett. He means to hide us away until our problems destroy us from within.” Basri turned and waved her cane under Wes’ nose. “Haman and Sorrell will agree.”</p><p>Wes bristled. “I don’t care how long you’ve served, you haven’t earned the right to be so informal with our monarch.”</p><p>“And you haven’t earned the right to have an opinion on the matter.”</p><p>Before Wes could respond, a book snapped shut from across the room. Crown Princess Sorrell rose from her worn reading chair, irritation plain on her face. She tossed the book at her brother, Prince Haman, who was lounging on a couch beside her. It landed on his stomach, and he grunted, moving it onto the coffee table nearby and throwing a pillow at her in response, which bounced harmlessly off her back.</p><p>“Wes, what’s going on? And why am I being interrupted during the best portion of my novel?” Sorrell sounded surprisingly alert, even though it was nearing midnight.</p><p>At the mention of Wes’ name, Haman hopped up as well, brushing his tunic down before joining his sister. The twins were eerily similar at first glance, and if Wes had not been raised in the palace, it would have taken him years to learn how to tell them apart. Their fur was a striking steely gray with a bold white stripe cutting through from nose to tail. Both had dark gray hair that was hard to manage, and both had inherited their father’s bright green eyes. Sorrell even dressed the same as her brother, a move that Wes always suspected she had done on purpose, even as a child. However, anyone looking closely could see they held themselves differently.</p><p>In times like this, when tensions were high or they were being called upon for royal business, Haman was uptight. His ears were always up, posture rigid, as if a threat was always just around the corner. Sorrell, on the other hand, was relaxed. She never showed her hand, or even an ounce of fear. There was nothing to fear when she was always in control of the situation, after all.</p><p>Wes cleared his throat, giving Haman a polite nod. Haman smiled back at him, locking eyes for a moment before turning his attention to Sorrell. <em> Always the dutiful brother, </em> Wes mused. He would make a great ruler one day. In the Sett tradition, the twins would take the throne together until Sorrell chose a mate. With the way she purposefully ignored suitors, Wes suspected the two would rule together for a very long time.</p><p>Basri disrupted Wes’ thoughts, tapping her cane against the stone floor to draw the group’s attention. “Princess Sorrell, you and your brother have been invited to join the other royals of Etheria for a party. It is imperative that you go.”</p><p>“King Melinus specifically forbade it,” Wes protested, but fell silent as Sorrell raised a paw. The respect he held for their father was equalled only by the deep loyalty he felt towards the king’s children.</p><p>“If my father said no, why are you coming to us?” Sorrell asked, staring Basri down with a chilling intensity. </p><p>Basri returned her stare. “Your father knows our kingdom is struggling. Surely you have received word of the unrest within Sett.” She paused, but Sorrell did not respond. Wes flinched. Of course she had. They all had. Roaming bands of thugs, proclaiming allegiance to some force other than the King and Sett. There were rumors that they had even played a part in the death of Queen Allia.</p><p>Basri continued, seeming to choose her words carefully. “Melinus believes we should not expose our troubles to other kingdoms. He refuses to ask for their aid.”</p><p>“Surely he has a good reason for that. He knows more about Sett than we do. He’s wise.” Haman tilted his head, a tuft of dark gray hair flopping down into his eyes. He tried and failed to blow it out of his face. After a few attempts, he reached up to slick it back. Wes instinctively reached for a band on his belt, passing it to Haman. His heart beat a little faster when Haman’s paw brushed his own.</p><p>Basri shook her head, leaning against her cane. “If we could solve our problems ourselves, it would already be done. We need to join forces with the rest of Etheria, and this party could be our in.”</p><p>Sorrell’s ears flicked, and she seemed to be in deep thought. Haman began tying his hair back, and Wes looked away, afraid to let Basri catch him watching the prince too closely. After a few moments, Sorrell nodded, surprising both Wes and Haman.</p><p>“Alright, we’ll go. We’ll need transportation and enough supplies to get us there and back. I assume you can handle that, Basri?”</p><p>Basri seemed pleased. Wes shook his head, tightening his grip on his spear.</p><p>“Your father will have my head if you disobey him. His only cubs, leaving the safety of Sett…” Wes groaned, but Haman stepped to his side, placing a paw on Wes’ arm. Haman looked up at him, a sweet smile on his face.</p><p>“Come with us, Wes. I won’t let father hurt you, and he’ll be happier knowing we had you to protect us.” Wes flushed, and he saw Haman’s eyes light up when he nodded in agreement. “Besides, you know we can’t stop Sorrell from going if she’s made up her mind.”</p><p>“If I am to be Queen one day, I will need to know who my allies and enemies are outside of Sett’s walls.” Sorrell spoke calmly. Wes knew that voice. She was bluffing. That was the same voice she used when trying to tempt him into making a poor move during board games. “Basri?”</p><p>“Yes, Princess Sorrell. I will make all of the arrangements.” Basri tapped the top of her cane in excitement. “We will need to get you out under the cover of darkness. Give me three days to prepare, and on the night of the fourth, you three will leave for Garnet Falls.”</p><p>“Excellent. That will be all, Advisor.” Sorrell bowed her head slightly, and Basri took her leave, shuffling out to begin her work. When the door shut behind her, Sorrell and Haman both exhaled, and seemed to instantly relax.</p><p>“Gods below, an actual party.” Sorrell’s voice held far more interest now, bordering on joy. Haman clapped his paws together, hopping in place. This was better, Wes thought. The tension between them when they weren’t alone was exhausting.</p><p>Now, Sorrell was even calmer, and she had a genuine smile on her face. Haman was filled with energy, like always. Wes wondered how he contained himself when they had to be serious. He would have to calm down tremendously before he took his place on the throne alongside Sorrell. Hopefully there would be many, many years before that.</p><p>Haman stopped his hopping and stood between Wes and Sorrell, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “We’ll get to leave Sett for a bit! I’ve always wanted to see the rest of Etheria. Ooh, Sorrell, what should we wear? Oh, oh, we’ll have to dress Wes up too! I bet he’ll look absolutely stunning in a suit. A handsome green suit with gold trim, and we’ll put a wide cumberbund on him, and some svelte leather bracers—”</p><p>“My lord, I’m just there to protect you.” Wes responded, trying to maintain some level of professional and emotional distance from the situation. He couldn’t help but feel excited, though. </p><p>Haman shook his head, putting one paw on Wes’ chest, causing the tall guard to swallow hard. “Don’t be silly, Wes. You’re my plus one! Sorrell will just have to find someone else to take.” He stuck his tongue out at his sister, who rolled her eyes at him.</p><p>“I’ll find someone when we get there. More importantly, we need to get ready to mingle and make friends.” Sorrell winced, glancing at Wes. Wes smiled at her, not even the least bit phased. He appreciated the sentiment behind her reaction, but he knew his place. “Sorry, Wes. You’re our friend too, and you’re wonderful. We just need other, you know… Royal friends.”</p><p>“No need to apologize, my lady.” Wes bowed his head, but Haman huffed.</p><p>“Well, he’s all the friend I need. I’ll focus on looking incredible on the dance floor, and you can handle the mingling and friend-making.” Haman flopped himself back on the couch, a happy sigh escaping him. “What do you think the other royals do for fun?”</p><p>Wes took his leave, letting the twins continue with their conjecture in private. He stepped back outside, just in time to catch a glimpse of Basri. She seemed to be speaking in a hushed whisper to a pair of guards at the end of the hall. He moved to shut the bedroom door behind him, and when he turned back, she was gone.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Healing the Heart-Blossom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Adora runs into some trouble when healing the Heart-Blossom. Catra and Melog argue over cucumbers.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Adora wiggled her way into Perfuma’s tent, its flaps thumping her back as she pushed through. Perfuma had retired to the corner of her modest home. She held a small clay pot on her lap, filled with rich dark soil. The princess looked up and smiled sweetly, beckoning Adora over.</p><p>“Welcome back. Did you learn anything?” Perfuma dug two fingers into the soil, creating a deep indent. She placed a thick brown seed inside and brushed the dirt back overtop, patting it down fondly.</p><p>Adora nodded, and Perfuma’s smile grew even wider. “From what we can tell, the Heart-Blossom is sick. Maybe something leftover from the Horde is messing with it, or…” She paused. Now wasn’t the time to worry Perfuma over some crazy old god nonsense, especially before they knew exactly who Ysimer was. “That’s probably it.”</p><p>“Probably?” Perfuma’s look changed to one of concern, and she placed the pot down gently on the ground. By this point, Glimmer had joined Adora in the tent.</p><p>“That’s definitely it. Adora’s going to help with She-Ra’s power, and you’ll be all good again, Perfuma.” Glimmer’s voice was bubbly, but Adora could tell it was forced. Perfuma, however, could not. She clapped her hands, clearly thrilled.</p><p>“Fantastic! I’m looking forward to my second attempt with the Heart-Blossom saplings. Once you’re done, we can join the party in your honor.” Perfuma rose, grabbing Adora and Glimmer’s hands and pulling them outside.</p><p>“I hope there’s some of those awesome edible flower petals,” Bow chimed in from his spot outside the tent.</p><p>Catra stood next to him, frowning at the thought. “That sounds gross. Who eats flowers?” Her nose wrinkled. Melog sat behind her legs, cleaning one thick front paw.</p><p>Bow wagged a finger at her, shaking his head. “You can’t judge until you’ve tried them, Catra. They’re crispy and savory, and sometimes they get tossed in this green-tasting sauce and put on buns...”</p><p>“How can a sauce taste like a color?” Catra shot back, but the description seemed to pique her curiosity.</p><p>As Bow tried to explain, Adora bit her lip, staring down at the ground. The thought of transforming into She-Ra again was starting to scare her. She knew the hurt that came with it, and the anticipation felt like torture. She dug her hand into her pocket, feeling for the shard of metal from Salineas. It was there, cool to the touch, which was strange for having been pressed against her skin for hours on end. She had buffed the rust off it to make it safer to handle, and even filed down the edges so it didn’t cut through her leggings. It soothed her to play with it. She could drown out some of the negative thoughts by focusing on it instead.</p><p>Adora felt Catra’s arm link through hers, and she snapped out of her daze. Some of the tension melted away. Catra’s smile sparked something warm within her, deep in her bones. How had she gone through her life in the Horde without this feeling to sustain her?</p><p>“Hey, Adora.” Catra’s lips brushed Adora’s shoulder, a soft kiss that washed away the rest of the fear gripping her heart. She would never ever get tired of hearing those words. “Are you ready? If I listen to Bow talk about food for much longer, I might eat his quiver.”</p><p>“I’m ready. Let’s do this.” Adora kissed Catra’s forehead, enjoying the way her furry ears twitched in obvious delight. She stepped back from her friends, clenching her fists, and took a deep breath.</p><p>“For the honor… of Grayskull!”</p><p>Adora knew she didn’t have to say the words anymore. She could change without them, but she felt some measure of comfort from speaking them. She knew Grayskull wasn’t some forgotten goddess or powerful being, just the group that helped Mara, and they had no real control over her transformation. Still, it felt good to say their name, as if it held power she could draw from. <em> And maybe </em> , she thought, <em> this time it would protect her from the exhaustion she had felt previously </em>.</p><p>It didn’t. Shards of ice slashed through her veins. The familiar stretching from all sides was still there, but her limbs acted like they had been replaced with anvils, and her insides felt like they had been frozen solid. It took every bit of willpower to not scream. Her transformation typically happened quickly, but this time it took a moment. When it was complete, she fell to her knees, dripping with cold sweat.</p><p>“Adora!” Several voices cried out in unison, and She-Ra felt the hands of her friends on her, holding her upright, pressing into her chest and back, one on her shoulder. She accepted their support, taking slow and deliberate breaths until the fog of pain passed and she regained some measure of control. Something was pressed to her lips, and after a moment, she recognized it as a waterskin. Grateful, she drank deeply.</p><p>“Adora…” That was Catra. As she opened her eyes, her love sighed in relief. She watched Perfuma rip a piece of cloth off a nearby banner, wet it from the waterskin, and pass it to Catra. She wrung it out and pressed it to She-Ra’s forehead.</p><p>“Thanks, babe.” She-Ra’s voice cracked, and she placed her hand over Catra’s. “That was a little harder than normal.”</p><p>“A little?!” Glimmer sounded outraged. Out of the corner of her eye, She-Ra could see the sparkling queen pacing, hands on her head. “You nearly fainted!”</p><p>Bow’s eyes darted frantically between She-Ra and Glimmer, then to Catra, then back to She-Ra. “Adora, if you can’t do this right now, it’s okay. We can try again tomorrow.”</p><p>“No, I’m alright now.” She-Ra pushed herself to her feet, fighting back the nausea replacing the pain in her stomach. Bow helped steady her, and she put an arm around his shoulders, grateful for the assistance. “Let’s go. Once we finish, I’ll sit down for a while, I promise.”</p><p>The short walk to the Heart-Blossom was more labored than it needed to be. Her limbs still felt heavy, but each step felt a little easier. Bow and Catra stayed close, staring intensely, ready to spring into action should she need them. Once they arrived, She-Ra placed a palm on the giant tree, taking a few deep breaths.</p><p>“Please, don’t hurt yourself.” The concern in Perfuma’s voice made it shake. “If we lost you…” She trailed off, and when She-Ra glanced over her shoulder, she saw tears in Perfuma’s eyes.</p><p>“Really, I’m fine. Everyone just give me a moment.” She-Ra waved her friends away, and they all took a few steps back, allowing her room to work. She placed her other hand on the Heart-Blossom’s bark, feeling the hum of energy within.</p><p>Everything within Etheria contained some amount of magic, but the Runestones pulsed with it, like magical hearts constantly beating to keep the planet moving. The Heart-Blossom’s pulse was there, but faint, lapsed, skipping occasionally like an arrythmia. What She-Ra had done in Salineas was unique, crafting a new set of veins and arteries to channel the Pearl’s power through the Sea Gate. Mermista had helped guide her in that endeavor, but she had no guide for this. The problem here was new and different.</p><p><em> Think, Adora. What did they teach you in the Horde about when someone’s heart is beating out of rhythm? </em> </p><p>She-Ra pulled her hands from the giant tree, a small smile crossing her lips.</p><p>“Shock it back into rhythm.” She murmured to herself, then slapped her palms together. Magical electricity sparked from between them, and as she separated them, the arcs of lightning stretched with her. Perfuma gasped behind her, but that was the only reaction her friends had time for, as She-Ra slammed her palms back onto the tree before the electricity could dissipate.</p><p>The magic in the Heart-Blossom stopped for the briefest of moments. She-Ra’s heart dropped through her stomach. What had she done? <em> Oh no, this is awful… </em> But then, something within it sparked, and she heard a click. A wave of magic pushed back against her, with such force that she stumbled. And when she placed one hand back on the tree, the pulse of energy was so strong it made her head reel. She grinned widely, patting the Heart-Blossom fondly.</p><p>“The magic...” Perfuma clutched her chest, her face flushed. “I’ve never felt it this strongly before. What did you do?”</p><p>She-Ra paused, letting the energy within her go and shifting out of her heroine form. As Adora, she rejoined her friends, still grinning but pale with exhaustion. “The Heart-Blossom just needed a restart. Try your vines now, Perfuma.”</p><p>Perfuma obliged, moving her hand in a circle with her palm facing the ground. A thick green vine quickly sprouted from underneath it, growing rapidly to bump against her hand. She beamed, hugging it tightly to her chest.</p><p>“Oh, Adora! They feel so vibrant and healthy again!” Perfuma let go of the vine to pull Bow and Glimmer into a group hug.</p><p>“You promised you would sit down.” Catra reminded Adora, looping an arm around her waist to help keep her upright. “And we need to find out why you’ve been getting so tired as She-Ra lately.”</p><p>Adora nodded. “Let’s get to that party, and I’ll rest and eat something. We can come up with a plan.”</p><p>Catra seemed pleased with that, and with Bow’s help, they moved Adora towards the giant gathering in the center of Plumeria.</p><p>Behind them, a piece of jagged black metal sparkled in the sunlight, lodged in between the roots of the Heart-Blossom. The spot where it had been placed was a circle of char burned into the wood. Magical sparks enveloped the burn, healing it from within until there was no trace left.</p><p> </p><p>-+-</p><p> </p><p>After the grand party thrown in their honor, the Best Friends Squad stayed in Plumeria for an extra day. Catra and Glimmer forced Adora to rest, while Bow helped Perfuma plant her new saplings, which were thriving thanks to her strong connection with the Heart-Blossom. Once they were satisfied with how things were progressing, they said their goodbyes to Perfuma and teleported back to Bright Moon.</p><p>The next few days were lazy, with Catra and Adora spending lots of time lounging in the gardens, chatting idly and holding hands. Adora worked on a project she had become interested in after their time in Plumeria, weaving shimmering threads together to try and recreate the basket the old woman Lily made. Catra trimmed her plants, happy to simply exist in the same space as Adora.</p><p>One morning, instead of the normal breakfast spread, Catra found a buffet filled with tiny foods in the palace dining hall. This could only mean one thing: Entrapta was here. The fur on the back of her neck bristled, and she glanced around, looking for the telltale purple hair.</p><p>A sleepy Adora yawned behind her, pressing her face into Catra’s soft neck and mumbling a hello. The surprise greeting startled her, and if she hadn’t recognized Adora’s voice, the magicat may have taken a swing at her, claws extended. Even still, she jumped a bit.</p><p>“Sorry, baby girl.” Adora yawned again, wrapping her arms around Catra’s waist. Catra gave her head an affectionate pat, curling her tail behind one of Adora’s legs.</p><p>“You’re lucky I like you.”</p><p>Adora chuckled, and the sound and vibration made Catra’s heart beat a little faster. “Only like?” Adora trailed a few soft kisses across Catra’s shoulder, making her shiver. “Could’ve sworn you loved me.”</p><p>“Yeah, I guess.” Catra turned around, coming face to face with Adora, and pressed their foreheads together. “Good morning.”</p><p>“Mornin’.” Adora blinked slowly, rubbing sleep from her eyes, then glanced at the buffet table. “Mmm… Little cookies…”</p><p>“Emphasis on little,” Catra drawled.</p><p>Adora seemed to understand, suddenly becoming more alert.</p><p>Catra untangled herself from Adora’s embrace, ignoring her noises of protest, and moved back towards the table just in time to see a purple flash duck under the tablecloth. “...Melog…”</p><p><em> “Night snacks.” </em> The chirps came from below the table, and Catra saw a blue wispy tail flicking out. She crouched, lifting the cloth to find Melog’s huge pupil-less eyes staring back at her with a look of guilt.</p><p>“It’s eight in the morning, dude. They’re not night snacks until it’s night time.” She sighed, fishing a few cookies out from between their paws. “You have to eat something other than sugar. You’re going to end up chunky.”</p><p><em> “Chunky from snack? Chunky good.” </em>Melog snatched one of the cookies back, inhaling it before Catra could react. She scowled, taking the rest away and unceremoniously dumping them onto a plate.</p><p>“You need vegetables. Or protein. Probably. I actually don’t know what your diet is supposed to be.” She held back a chuckle as one thick purple paw stuck out from underneath the tablecloth, smacking the carpet in a feeble attempt to retrieve the cookies she had taken. Grabbing a small plate, she walked down the buffet, eyeing all of the food to try and find something healthy. Meanwhile, Adora had filled a huge platter with a bit of everything, and was shoveling it all down with gusto.</p><p>“Ooh, what about this?” Catra plucked a small sandwich topped with cucumber from a tray, pulling the toothpick from the center before offering it to Melog under the table. She peeked under just in time to see Melog jump up, hitting their back on the table before skittering out. “What in the-”</p><p><em> “Monster!” </em> Melog shouted, ducking behind Adora’s chair and quivering. Adora gripped the table she was seated at, startled enough to stop eating for a moment.</p><p>“What freaked Melog out so bad?” She asked, twisting to look back at them and offering them her hand. Melog pressed their nose into it, and Adora began stroking their head.</p><p><em> “Green thing. Monster.” </em> Melog whimpered, and Catra rolled her eyes. She gathered up the plate again, plucking the cucumber slice off the top of the sandwich and waving it in Melog’s direction.</p><p>“Seriously? This? Does this look like a monster to you?” She shook her head, stifling a chuckle as Melog nodded emphatically. Sighing dramatically, she popped the cucumber into her mouth, and Melog stared in awe. “There. Now come eat the rest.”</p><p><em> “Not hurt? Catra brave.” </em> Melog approached the plate carefully as Catra set it down, and after inspecting it thoroughly, ate the tiny sandwich in one bite. <em> “What this?” </em></p><p>“It’s called a sandwich. And the green thing is a cucumber. It’s a vegetable. Do you want to try one?” When Melog nodded again, Catra refilled their plate with a few more sandwiches, removing the toothpicks but leaving the cucumbers. She watched Melog’s mane fluff up as she offered them the plate, and after a few moments of gathering their courage, Melog ate a sandwich, cucumber and all. And another. And another. And then the plate was empty again, and they seemed pleased.</p><p>
  <em> “Sandwich good. Monster cucumber good too.” </em>
</p><p>“Don’t go trying to eat random creatures now just because you think they’re vegetables.” Catra filled one more plate, this time adding a cookie, and stroked Melog’s back fondly as they wolfed it down. She shot a glare at Adora, who was laughing from her seat. “Do you see what I have to deal with?”</p><p>“For once, you’re not fussing at me for something.” Adora grinned at her, popping a few more bites of food into her mouth at once.</p><p>Catra grabbed a few bites for herself, placing a kiss on Adora’s forehead before wandering out of the dining hall in search of Entrapta. She wasn’t about to let the inventor princess sneak up on her. She had her plate half finished when she heard Entrapta’s voice echo down the halls, and finally found her seated in Glimmer’s room.</p><p>Glimmer had moved a few bean bags together to create one giant pile, and she, Bow, and Entrapta were all lounging on them. Glimmer sprawled across Bow’s lap, fingers entwined with his, watching Entrapta with a look of fondness and amusement as Entrapta rambled about something. Catra stood in the doorway, faltering for a moment. She was growing comfortable here, and was friendly with everyone, but this felt a little more intimate.</p><p>“Catra, come in.” Glimmer noticed her, waving her into the room and patting an empty spot next to her. Catra took a second to breathe, ate the last of her food, then joined the group on the beanbags.</p><p>“Catra, I am so excited to see that you are enjoying the delicious food that Junior created for us! He has even been teaching Hordak to bake. Hordak’s carrot cake is exceptional.” Catra would have been able to tell how excited Entrapta was even without her saying so, from the pitch of her voice. Still, it was nice to hear her friend so happy. Entrapta’s hair stretched across the group and took Catra’s empty plate, placing it on a stack on a nearby table.</p><p>“Oh. Thanks.” Catra pulled her tail across her lap, trying to get comfortable. She still wasn’t used to all of the soft things in Bright Moon. She almost missed the firm support of the metal benches in the Fright Zone.</p><p>“Entrapta, Junior, and Hordak are all here to go with us to Mara’s ship,” Bow explained, a twinkle in his eye. “We’ve been working on some great tech that will help us with hunting down any more First Ones ruins.”</p><p>“It’s going to be incredible.” If Bow’s eyes were twinkling, Entrapta’s eyes were fully on fire. She was sitting cross-legged, hair gesturing wildly as she spoke, hugging herself with her arms to contain her enthusiasm. “Bow helped me design a tracking system based on mining techniques used by raiders in the Crimson Waste. It will allow us to detect First Ones technology as deep down as four kilometers underneath the surface of Etheria!”</p><p>“How are we going to test it?” When Catra asked that, both Bow and Entrapta seemed to deflate. Catra flattened her ears. “You guys didn’t think about that, did you?”</p><p>“Shoot. She has a point,” Bow murmured, scratching his chin. He was starting to grow a few chin hairs, Catra noticed. He had always been clean-shaven before, but both of his parents had facial hair, so she wondered if he’d always been capable of growing a beard, or had just started developing one. An image of Bow with a fabulous handlebar mustache popped into her head, and she pushed it away, internally scowling at herself.</p><p>“No matter! Between my lab and the ruins we know about, I’m positive we can find something with which to test our wondrous creation.” Entrapta’s hair drummed happily on the cushions, and any amount of concern she had from Catra’s question had already dissipated.</p><p>“Bow, what about your dads’ collection? We were going to go visit them anyways. Maybe they have something we can borrow to make sure it works.” Glimmer squeezed Bow’s hand, and he grinned.</p><p>“That’s perfect! We can go see them, talk to them about… us… Ask them about…” Bow paused, looking at Entrapta, who smiled obliviously back at him. “...borrowing some tech. And then meet back up with everyone here to finish with the ship.”</p><p>Glimmer nodded, kissing his hand before pushing herself out of the pile. “Great plan. We’ll head out this afternoon. Entrapta, you know where we left Mara’s ship, right?” Entrapta shook her head. Glimmer shrugged, grabbing up the stack of empty plates. “No problem. Tempest knows, she’s been one of the regular guards for that area. I’ll ask her to take you guys there and keep watch for you.”</p><p>“Wonderful!” Entrapta clapped her hands, standing up with the use of her hair and following Glimmer out.</p><p>Bow breathed a sigh of relief. “I can’t believe I almost spilled the beans like that. Stupid.” He smacked his own forehead with his palm, shoulders slumping. Catra hesitated for a moment, then reached out and patted his arm.</p><p>“Don’t worry about it. I’m honestly not sure how much we can trust that lady’s advice, anyways.” She leaned back, sinking into the beanbag and staring up at the ceiling. “Who ever heard of someone getting more powerful just by having people know about them?”</p><p>“I don’t know, but can we really afford to test that theory?” Bow shifted, pulling his knees up to his chest. “If she’s wrong, the worst that happens is we keep a secret for a while. But if she’s right, and we talk, that information could spread exponentially. Ysimer would go from five people knowing about him to the entire planet.”</p><p>“Hm.” Catra shut her eyes, tail lashing slowly as she thought. After a minute of silence, she cracked one eye open, looking over at Bow. “I guess you’re right. But you have to tell your dads, don’t you?”</p><p>“Yeah.” Bow sighed again, this one deep and troubled. “I don’t want to expose them to this, but we may not have any other leads.”</p><p>“We’ll protect them. Your family is Glimmer’s family, and Glimmer’s family is Adora’s family. And anyone Adora cares about, I care about too.” Catra reached out for him again, this time putting a hand on his knee. Bow smiled, bumping his forehead against her hand affectionately. She smiled back.</p><p>“Thanks, Catra.” He stretched out again, getting up and offering to help her up. Although she normally wouldn’t, Catra took his hand. Bow pulled her to her feet, patting her on the shoulder. “I hope you’re happy here with us, and not just because of Adora. I’m sure that’s what it was at first, but… We want you here too. Me and Glimmer, and everyone else.”</p><p>Catra had no reply. She looked down, tail curling around her leg. Her relationship with Bow and Glimmer had become pretty solid. She and Glimmer had an understanding, a level of bickering and mutual respect that reminded her a lot of her relationship with Lonnie, before things broke bad in the Horde. It felt like she gained a sister. Bow was more level-headed, genuine, saying things that were pure and cut right through the bullshit Catra put up to protect herself.</p><p>“I mean it. I’m glad you’re my friend.” Bow squeezed her hand before letting go, and Catra saw him head towards the door. Without realizing, she had started following him. He stopped, and she collided with his back, hugging him and burying her face between his shoulder-blades. She felt his arms cover hers, hugging her back.</p><p>“Bow. Thank you.” After a few moments, Catra stumbled back, clearing her throat. Bow turned to her, eyes wide. Oh no. She knew that glint in his eye. “Don’t. Don’t you dare.”</p><p>“So cuuuuuute!” Bow squealed, and Catra immediately regretted everything in her life that had led to this moment. She scowled, pushing past him into the hall.</p><p>“This never happened. I mean it, Bow. Not a word.” She stormed off in the direction Entrapta and Glimmer had gone, Bow trailing behind her.</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Darla</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Adora, Catra, and Entrapta go to Mara's ship to start upgrades. Their escort makes an important phone call.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Adora waved goodbye to Bow and Glimmer as the pair teleported to visit Bow’s parents. Glimmer’s magic was always so beautiful, Adora never got tired of watching it. The young queen took Bow’s hand, and the two fizzled out of view with a small poof of shining lights and a sound that Adora could only describe as ‘shimmery’. Now that Glimmer’s magic was more powerful, the sensation of being teleported was almost pleasant, and she wished they had opted to all go together instead of splitting up.</p><p>With Tempest’s help, Adora loaded Entrapta’s gadgets into a small wooden cart. They set off towards Mara’s ship with Tempest leading the way, the afternoon sun beating down on them. Entrapta walked alongside Adora, who pulled the cart, and Catra rode on Melog’s back behind them.</p><p>It was a short trip, about half an hour’s walk from Bright Moon, but deep in the Whispering Woods. Even though fall was fast approaching, the wild blooms in the Woods still filled the air with their thick floral scent. The wooden cart wheels rattled over roots that stretched across their path. It was light enough that She-Ra wasn’t necessary, but Adora still felt the ache in her shoulders and chest once they arrived.</p><p>Mara’s ship was parked in a small clearing. The trees surrounding it were bent, as if the ship itself repelled them. Only a few months had passed since the squad had flown the sleek spaceship, but already, wisps of ivy climbed the hull. They left sticky prints on the metal when Catra ripped them away.</p><p>“I would have expected Darla to be more resistant to plant life.” Entrapta traced the marks with her fingertips, eyes wide. “Perhaps her shield technology needs to be upgraded as well…”</p><p>“Whatever you need to do, Entrapta.” Adora gave the ship a fond pat. “You know more about this stuff than any of us. If you need me to activate something, just say the word.”</p><p>“Milady, where would you like your tools?” Tempest grunted as she lifted a box from the cart, steadying herself. She had dressed lightly for the trip, in simple leather armor with no helmet, a light canvas bag tied around her waist. Her hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, similar to Adora’s. It was serving her well now, as a bead of sweat had already begun to roll down her face. The sun beaming off the metallic hull of Mara’s ship wasn’t making things easier.</p><p>“Inside and to the right, if you please. No need to keep anything organized, just wherever is most convenient,” Entrapta answered, already halfway up the side of the ship and inspecting some battle damage. Tempest shifted the box, following Catra and Adora inside.</p><p>As Entrapta got to work, Catra lounged in the captain’s chair, with Melog shrunk down and sprawled on her chest, sharing a catnap together. Adora helped pass Entrapta tools, trying hard to pay attention to her friend’s technobabble, but finding herself hopelessly distracted by her own worries. She had made up her mind - today, she would ask Catra to prom, even if the perfect opportunity didn’t present itself. No more waiting.</p><p>“Princess Adora?” Tempest’s voice interrupted the anxious spiral of thoughts in her brain, and Adora sat up straight, hand outstretched with a screwdriver towards Entrapta. The tall guard was focused on a blinking light on the console, and pointed it out to the group, concern obvious on her face. “What does this mean?”</p><p>“No idea.” Adora shrugged, and Entrapta made her way over, taking the tool as she went. She pulled a panel off the console, sliding inside to take a closer look. Adora winced at the sound of metal clanging from deep within the ship, and tried to ignore the flying sparks. “Uh… We’ll let Entrapta deal with it. She knows what she’s doing, I think.”</p><p>“Darla was just letting us know that a few wires were loose. Good thing too, because otherwise the sensor tech I’m installing had an increased chance of ending poorly for us,” Entrapta called out, humming as she worked. Adora heard something click into place, and the power in the ship flickered for a moment, then pulsed back to life.</p><p>“Increased?” Adora looked at Tempest, who shook her head, edging towards the exit. “You mean there was a chance this could’ve been dangerous for us?”</p><p>“No no no.” Entrapta stuck her head back out, a smear of oil across her forehead. She grinned, passing Adora back the screwdriver with one ponytail. “Soldering iron, please.”</p><p>Adora handed her the tool, wrinkling her nose. “But you just said…”</p><p>“It’s not that there WAS a chance this could have caused Darla to short circuit and fry any lifeform within the ship.” Entrapta’s response was muffled as she ducked back down. “There IS a chance. Present tense.”</p><p>Tempest audibly swallowed.</p><p>Entrapta squealed with joy, climbing back out and dusting her coveralls off. “Fixed! Perfectly safe now, with a margin of error of roughly 0.3%.” She pulled a rag from her pocket, dabbing at the oil on her face, but mostly managing to smear it around.</p><p>Adora stood, grabbing her canteen from a crate and wetting a fresh rag for Entrapta. “Next time, can you let us know if we’re in danger of dying <em> before </em> we all pile inside?” Tempest was nearly out the door, eyes wide. Entrapta finished cleaning her face properly, completely unfazed.</p><p>“Sorry, handsome guard woman. I have trouble understanding sometimes. I promise I will alert you to any danger in the future.”</p><p>Adora shook her head, settling back down on the floor, this time in front of the captain’s chair. She leaned against Catra, ignoring the sleepy grumbles her girlfriend made in response. “Does that mean the sensor is ready, Entrapta?”</p><p>“Almost! It will be ready for the first test by the time Bow and Glimmer join us.” Entrapta pushed herself off the ground with her hair, examining something on the ceiling.</p><p>“I suspect they will be a while.” Tempest leaned against the wall, still near the exit, but starting to muster her courage. “Queen Glimmer mentioned that Lord Bow’s parents might need time to find the information they sought.”</p><p>“It’s a big library. I imagine that’s true.” Adora stared up at the spot Entrapta was examining, sighing to herself. “Bow’s dads are nice. I wish I had parents like them.”</p><p>She was surprised to feel Catra’s hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly. Adora placed her own hand on Catra’s, leaning back to smile at her.</p><p>Catra’s lips grazed her forehead with a sweet kiss. “Bet they’d adopt you if you asked.” Okay, not the kind and sincere response she was expecting. Still, it made Adora laugh a bit.</p><p>“Shut upppp.” Adora pushed Catra’s face away, and her girlfriend responded with her own shove, disturbing Melog in the process. They groaned, hopping down off Catra’s stomach and shooting the two lovebirds a glare. “Oops.”</p><p>Melog’s tail lashed, a dull spiky red, and Catra laughed, sliding down off the chair and into Adora’s lap. “They said something I won’t repeat. Go on, Melog. You can have it.”</p><p>Melog’s mane and tail settled back down, and they hopped up into the warmed seat, making a few circles before curling into a little space-kitty donut.</p><p>“Princess Adora.” Tempest cleared her throat, a bit more pale than Adora remembered. She seemed to sway in place. Adora moved Catra and stood, stepping quickly towards her side, but Tempest shook her head, holding out her hand. “Apologies, my lady. I didn’t mean to worry you. I feel like I need some air.”</p><p>“Of course, Tempest. We’re fine here.” Adora gave the guard’s arm a friendly pat. Tempest smiled, putting a hand on the wall of the ship for support, and made her way out to the best of her ability. After watching her leave, Adora moved back to the captain’s chair, sitting down and leaning against Catra.</p><p>“I suppose not everyone is suited for the recycled oxygen inside of an interstellar spacecraft.” Entrapta’s musings came from under the floor. Adora wondered when her friend had slipped back into Darla’s inner workings. Well, at least now she and Catra had a moment to themselves. Maybe now was the time. She looked over at her girlfriend, giving her a kiss on her cheek.</p><p>“Catra…” Adora started, but Catra shook her head. Confused, Adora leaned forward to get a better look. Catra’s face was scrunched up, and she seemed deep in thought.</p><p>“Adora. Something’s not right.”</p><p>Adora winced. <em> Uh oh. Did I cross a line? </em> But after a moment, Catra turned to look at her, speaking softly.</p><p>“Who told Tempest what Bow and Glimmer were looking for?”</p><p>“Oh.” Adora frowned. “I didn’t. I know you wouldn’t. And I don’t think Bow or Glimmer would…”</p><p>“Not intentionally.” Catra rested her head on Adora’s shoulder, sighing to herself. Adora pressed her face into Catra’s hair, trying to distract herself from the worry building in her chest. Catra’s perfume was more muted today, she noticed. Simple and floral, not unlike some of the flowers they had passed on their way here. The thought of Catra making trips to pick flowers for perfume was endearing.</p><p>“I didn’t expect you to be so concerned with keeping this a secret.” Adora watched Catra’s face as her girlfriend chose her words.</p><p>“I don’t believe in it, if that’s what you’re saying. But we all swore to each other we’d keep quiet.” Catra’s brow was furrowed, and she kept pulling on her own hands, a nervous habit that she had picked up fairly recently. “We should ask when they get here.”</p><p>“Of course. I want to make sure the four of us are all on the same page.” Adora tried to smile reassuringly, but by Catra’s expression, it must have looked more like indigestion.</p><p>“We should all be able to trust each other.” Catra’s voice was low, almost sad. “You’ve always had my back, but… It’s been nice having more people around that care, too. I don’t want to lose that.”</p><p>“You won’t. You’re never going to lose me, and you can trust Glimmer and Bow. They want you in their lives.” Adora bumped her forehead against Catra’s, and they sat in silence for a moment. Finally, Catra took a deep breath, seeming to have calmed down.</p><p>“Thanks, Adora.” Her eyes were still shut, but Adora watched the wrinkle between her eyes disappear, and she couldn’t help but lean over and kiss that spot. “Maybe I’m being paranoid. I guess there’s nothing to do except wait until we can ask them.”</p><p>Adora went quiet, and she felt Catra’s eyes on her. “Yeah…”</p><p>Catra frowned, patting Adora’s leg. “You were trying to say something before, weren’t you? Go ahead.”</p><p>“It wasn’t important.” Adora slumped a bit, and she felt Catra’s arm wrap around her waist.</p><p>“Everything you say is important to me.” When Adora looked over, Catra’s eyes met hers, and a soft purr started up in Catra’s chest. Adora giggled, kissing Catra’s nose.</p><p>“I just… I’ve been wanting to ask you something.”</p><p>Catra tensed, sitting up straight and staring at her. Adora grabbed her hands, giving them a soft squeeze to reassure her.</p><p>“Will you go to Princess Prom with me?”</p><p>Catra froze for a moment, then groaned, head rolling back dramatically. “Seriously? You scared me!”</p><p>Adora bit her lip. “I’m sorry! I wanted to ask you before we went to Plumeria, but things got crazy, and it didn’t seem like the right time, and then…” She trailed off, swallowing hard.</p><p>Catra kissed her. She was familiar with Catra’s kisses, but not <em> used </em> to them. She knew how they felt, but every time it still was so new and wonderful and sent sparks through her. And right then, with one of Catra’s hands on her cheek, and the other on the small of her back, those sparks could have lit the night sky above the Fright Zone.</p><p>When they parted, Catra laughed. “You’re such an idiot. Of course we’re going together, Adora. I’m even wearing that suit you dreamed about, remember?”</p><p>“I know. But you deserved to be asked properly.” Adora was surprised to see Catra turn bright red at that. Very few things caught Catra off-guard. Her girlfriend was speechless for a moment, blinking rapidly, and Adora took that opportunity to pull her into another kiss. This one was a little deeper. It took a bit for them to part, and Catra was breathing a bit harder when they did. “You deserve a lot more than that, too.”</p><p>“Shut up. Do that again.” Catra grabbed Adora by the collar of her shirt, pulling her back in, and Adora obliged. At least, until a flash of sparkling pink light nearly blinded them both. With a fizzle of magic and an excited squeak, Glimmer and Bow popped into existence next to them.</p><p>“Hey, you two! We’ve got so much to tell you,” Glimmer announced proudly, ignoring the way Adora and Catra were flushed and clearly frustrated. Glimmer held a bag that seemed to be stuffed with scrolls, and slung across Bow’s back was a piece of old metal adorned with a bright green gem.</p><p>“Later, of course.” Bow added. He removed the metal from his back, holding it up proudly. It looked surprisingly similar to a magical staff, but with a few jagged edges that would have made it unwieldy in battle. “First, we test the sensor. This is the most advanced piece of tech my dads had. As soon as we’re done, I have to take it back to them.”</p><p>Adora moved to speak, but Catra put a finger over her lips, shaking her head. Adora shot her a look, and Catra shook her head. “Ask later, Adora. Not around Entrapta.”</p><p>Something inside the ship popped, and a thin wisp of smoke rose from an open panel on the wall. Entrapta yelped, pulling herself up out of it, confusion on her face. Once she saw Bow, however, the pieces seemed to click. “Oh, fantastic! Bow, take that out of Darla and close to the edge of the clearing!”</p><p>Bow gave a snappy salute, running out of the ship. Once Entrapta saw he was in position, she pressed a key on Darla’s console, grinning as it hummed to life. The display lit up, and a rough map of their surroundings projected into the air in front of them. On the map was a bright white spot, and as Bow moved with the staff, the dot moved as well.</p><p>Adora whistled. “Wow. Entrapta, that’s incredible.”</p><p>Entrapta waved Bow back inside, then turned to Adora, positively glowing. “Thank you! Now that we know it works, I can extend the range, giving us the ability to scan large chunks of Etheria at once. It will be incredible!”</p><p>“Did it work?” Bow asked, gripping the staff as he climbed back inside. When he saw the way Entrapta was wiggling happily, he pumped his fist. “Yes, yes yes! Entrapta, you’re amazing!”</p><p>Entrapta shook her head, spinning around near him. “Bow, you helped. We came up with the idea together. We’re both amazing!” They clasped hands and spun together.</p><p>Glimmer chuckled to herself. Adora watched her follow Bow with her gaze, eyes soft with affection. It made Adora so happy to see their relationship blossom. They deserved each other, and everything good that came with it. Glimmer seemed to wait a few moments for their celebration to die down, and when it didn’t, she cleared her throat. “Alright, you two. We have to take that thing back now.”</p><p>Entrapta’s eyes widened. “Ooh, can I go with you? I’d love to meet Bow’s parents and obtain permission to study the First Ones technology they’ve collected so far.”</p><p>Glimmer shrugged, looking at Bow. He nodded, still overjoyed. “Fine with me. I’m sure you’ll like them a lot, they’re very kind.”</p><p><em> Of course that’s what Entrapta wants, </em> Adora mused to herself. Though, knowing Bow’s dads, they would be thrilled to talk to Etheria’s expert on First Ones technology. Entrapta joined Glimmer and Bow, and the three of them flickered back out with a shimmering wave of pink light. Leaving Adora and Catra alone, this time truly alone. The two glanced at each other.</p><p>“How much time do you think we have?” Adora asked, but Catra was already climbing into her lap and kissing her neck.</p><p>“With how much Entrapta is going to talk their ears off, we’ll have plenty. Now, tell me more about what you think I deserve.”</p><p> </p><p>-+-</p><p> </p><p>Tempest stalked through the forest, pushing her way past bushes and vines until she was certain she was well out of sight of Mara’s ship. She took a moment to survey her surroundings, and to listen for any sign that she was followed. Nothing. Her expression, normally even and pleasant, changed - like an illusion being dropped. She soured immediately, and spat in disgust, pulling a thin device from her bag. It buzzed to life. She punched something in on the screen, and after a few moments, it lit up, and a familiar green face flashed into view.</p><p>“Well now, who is this tall drink of water?” Double Trouble propped themselves up on the arm of the couch they were lounging on, eyeing Tempest through the communicator with a smirk. “How’d you get my number, gorgeous? Not that I’m complaining.”</p><p>“You’re the changeling for hire, correct?” Tempest ignored Double Trouble’s pout. This mercenary was cute, sure, but there could be no distractions. “My group requires your services.”</p><p>Double Trouble sat up straighter, one perfectly plucked brow raised. Even through the screen, Tempest could practically feel their interest. “Oh? And who, exactly, is your group?”</p><p>Tempest continued to scan her surroundings while she spoke. “We need you to infiltrate the upcoming Princess Prom as a guest and complete a task for us. We have a specific individual in mind.” </p><p>“Darling, if you know me well enough to have contacted me, then you know I’m good for it.” Double Trouble brushed their hand across their lips, eyes glinting. “But I have friends at that dance. You’re going to have to make it well worth my while.”</p><p>“We can offer you triple your rates, half upfront.”</p><p>There was a moment of silence. Tempest smacked the communicator in frustration, concerned it had frozen. Then, she saw Double Trouble flushed, chewing on their finger. It took them a few seconds to answer.</p><p>“Alright, boss. Where should we meet?”</p><p>Tempest smirked. Perfect. Her superior would be pleased. “I’m sending you the coordinates now.”</p><p>Double Trouble tapped their screen, receiving the information. They plugged it in, then looked back into the communicator, frowning. “That’s not right. There’s nothing out that far past the Crimson Wastes. What are you trying to pull?”</p><p>“I suppose I can’t ask you to trust me, but I promise once you arrive, you will not be disappointed.”</p><p>Tempest watched them consider for a moment. Then, Double Trouble nodded.</p><p>“Don’t screw me, babe. Not unless we’ve agreed on it beforehand, at least.”</p><p>A branch cracked near her. Tempest flinched, whipping her head around. Bright, multicolored eyes stared back at her. A small bird looked indignantly at her, as if she had offended it by daring to stand near its perch. She growled, flicking a hand towards it, and it squawked before fluttering away.</p><p>“Ooh, so scary. I expected you to be a lot braver with how well you’re stacked.” Double Trouble’s voice sounded smug through the communicator pad’s crackling speakers.<em> Insolent mercenary. We could have done this without them. </em> Tempest scowled. That wasn't true, but she didn't trust this changeling to not make a mess of their carefully crafted plans.</p><p>“Be at the coordinates within a week’s time. We have less than a month before the Prom, and you need to be in place before then.”</p><p>Double Trouble steepled their fingers, their amusement clear on their face. “Of course. Oh, but one more thing. You didn’t answer me before. Who exactly am I working for?”</p><p>Tempest thought for a moment, and then for the first time during their conversation, a sharp, cruel smile crept across her face.  “Just call us… Concerned citizens of the kingdom of Sett.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The Arrival Of Sett</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Scorpia's throne is delivered and it's absolutely stunning. The royal twins of Sett arrive early for Prom.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Catra did not want to be in Garnet Falls. Her stomach was growling, Melog had woken her up early, and Adora had only given her two hours of cuddle time this morning. She was in a foul mood, and standing on a ladder, holding one side of a banner up while Bow hemmed and hawed about its positioning was not making things better.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Glimmer, pull your side a little tighter. The words aren’t centered over the doorway.” Bow frowned as Glimmer pulled the banner, then shook his head, waving for her to stop her. “No, no, too far. Go back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bow, I swear, if you don’t tell me to nail this down in the next thirty seconds, you’re sleeping with Adora and Catra tonight,” Glimmer grumbled through clenched teeth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Catra would have laughed if she weren’t already frustrated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’ll have to do. Maybe Perfuma will help me fix it if we have time.” Bow checked something off on his clipboard, walking away to supervise something else.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Catra shot Glimmer a mischievous look, baring her fangs in a grin. “Let’s put it back how it was and see if he even notices.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glimmer sighed. “Don’t tempt me. He’s driving me crazy today.” She secured her side, and Catra followed suit, slipping down the ladder with her tail lashing behind her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You did ask him to do this, you know.” Catra checked her nails, trailing Glimmer as the queen hugged the edges of the throne room, heading towards their next task. “So really, you’re the one to blame here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did it because he’s organized. He’s doing a great job.” Glimmer motioned towards the decorations. Scorpia had revitalized her family’s old throne room, rebuilt the walls with sturdier materials, and added ornate stained-glass windows to let in natural light. The prom was to be held here, and Scorpia could supervise from her new throne, which would be delivered this evening. With Perfuma’s help, Bow had covered the walls in gorgeous flowered ivy and lined the edges of the room with beautiful decorative bushes. Tables stood ready to be filled with food and drinks, and there was even a small platform to the side where the band could play without being disturbed by guests.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Catra scoffed, but she knew Glimmer was right. “Next year, you and I are taking a vacation until the second Prom begins.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glimmer laughed, the worry lines on her forehead smoothing out. “We’ll go to Salineas, Mermista will hide us for sure.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’d hate that,” Catra mused, and Glimmer smirked, rocking on her heels. Catra rolled her eyes at the young queen. “You’ve been thrilled with every bit of this until today.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, that’s true. Maybe we’ll just send Bow instead.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sounds of busywork paused as shouting caught everyone’s attention, and Catra watched as a pair of finely-dressed men argued across the room. Delivery-men, it seemed, judging by the huge wooden crate being carried in behind them. The group of four men with them were all dressed in plain brown robes, but the two fighting wore ornate white robes trimmed with red thread. Glimmer’s eyes lit up, and she called out, heading in their direction. “Scorpia, I think your throne is here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The smaller of the two leaders pulled his hood down, his fiery red hair spilling out over his shoulders. “Stay focused on the task at hand. And while you’re at it, if you don’t watch your tone…” His words caused the other man to reel back, absolutely fuming. They came together, poking one another’s chests and waving their hands wildly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“My</span>
  </em>
  <span> tone? I’m in charge! How dare you talk down to me like that!” The second man tossed back his hood as well, and one of his salt-and-pepper braids got stuck, making him pause for a second to get himself untangled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m here to get paid. If you’re the reason that doesn’t happen, </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone</span>
  </em>
  <span> will talk down to you, because I’ll rip your legs off!” the redhead shot back. The older man grabbed him by the front of his robes, his other hand clenching into a fist.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Scorpia’s bright red claws gripped them both by the backs of their robes, pulling them apart with a quick yank that nearly brought them off the floor. She got between them, puffing her chest up and glaring at each as they began spouting off excuses. It was rare to see Scorpia angry, but this had certainly gotten her close. Her cheeks were flushed, tail lashing with irritation. “Enough! No fighting in my kingdom. This is supposed to be a place of peace.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Our sincerest apologies, my lady-“ Redhead started, smoothing his hair back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Salt-and-pepper piped up, straightening his robes and looking flustered. “Of course, of course! It won’t happen again!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She released them. They retreated to the rest of the group, and Scorpia followed, rapping a claw against the crate. Glimmer and Catra hovered nearby, watching with interest. Catra enjoyed seeing Scorpia put people in their place, though it was rare. This group of insolent men certainly needed a reminder of where they were. Even though Scorpia was a newer princess, she still deserved respect. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The older man bowed towards Scorpia, clearing his throat and looking sufficiently chastened. “Where would you like us to place your piece, madam? My men and I would be happy to install it for you.” He snapped his fingers, and the brown robed crew began breaking open the crate, piling the pieces of wood out of the way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Inside was one of the most beautiful chairs Catra had ever seen. It was made of dark wood, and the sloping arms reminded her of autumn leaves, thin and artfully curled. She couldn’t see where the pieces connected, as if the throne had been grown in that shape rather than cut and assembled. The seat was luxuriously cushioned with rich gold fabric that ran up the back and down the front in an irregular pattern, like a stream cutting through a forest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On both armrests, a large divot had been pressed, or cut. Catra couldn’t be sure without looking closer. It had also been padded, and she realized it was a place where Scorpia’s tail could drape comfortably. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Smart. That must have been Perfuma’s idea. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Catra was glad someone was watching Scorpia’s back, thinking of what was in her best interest. She certainly hadn’t in the past, and still felt a pang of guilt about it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Scorpia whistled, running a claw across the arm as gingerly as she could. “It’s incredible…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The older man looked pleased, rubbing his hands together. “Our master was thrilled to have the chance to exercise his skills, madam.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re really doing us a favor by taking it,” the redhead chimed in. One of the brown robed folk elbowed him, earning themselves a smack on the arm from him in return.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Scorpia motioned towards the end of the hall. She was back in high spirits, the spat from earlier forgotten. Her eyes lit up, and she headed towards the dais, her tail relaxed and swaying gently behind her. “Follow me, I’ll show you where it goes! I’m glad you all came when you did. Sea Hawk spoke highly of the work you guys do. I’ve been so excited for this throne! You see, we’ve got this big party later…” Her voice trailed off as she led them away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Catra leaned her back against the wall. Only a few months ago, she would have been jealous of her squadmate’s newfound power and respect. Now, she was content that Scorpia was happy and had a purpose to work towards.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another noise broke through her thoughts, this one completely unfamiliar. A trumpet sounded outside the hall, and Catra’s fur stood on end, a surprised hiss escaping her. Glimmer flinched too, but laughed as Catra tried furiously to smooth her tail back down. Catra glared at her. “Knock it off, Sparkles. That’s not funny.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It wasn’t me!” Glimmer protested.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The trumpet rang out again, followed by slams as the doors to the hall swung open.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At the entrance stood three people, tall and broad-shouldered, dressed in clothes unlike any Catra had seen before. They reminded her of badgers, with pointed faces, small round ears perched atop their skulls, and wrinkled black noses. Two seemed like identical copies of one another, with sleek gray fur and hair pulled back in simple ponytails, wearing bright green finery with mismatched sleeves. The third was even more solidly built, with brown speckled fur, heavy armor, and a trumpet dangling from his belt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This armored man rapped the end of his spear against the stone floor. When he spoke, his voice was rough and deep. “Presenting Crown Princess Sorrell and Prince Haman, of the Kingdom of Sett!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One of the finely-robed people placed their paw on the guard’s arm, and he deflated a bit, taking a step back. They stepped into the grand throne room, and every person within stared at them with wide eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Catra froze. A feeling of unease shot through her, but she decided to wait and see what happened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glimmer was the first to respond. A trail of sparkles followed her as she bounded forward. The guard flinched, moving to intercept her, stopping only when one of his charges held up a paw. Glimmer paused short of them, then bowed deeply, a wide smile painting her face when she rose again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh wow, you really came! I’m Queen Glimmer of Brightmoon, and this is Catra. It’s such a honor to have you with us!” She held out a hand in greeting. One of the two - Catra suspected Sorrell, by the way she took charge - responded by offering her own paw, and Glimmer gave her a hearty shake. “Princess Scorpia is busy at the moment, but I know when she gets back, she’ll be thrilled to have you here!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was very kind of your kingdoms to invite us,” Princess Sorrell responded, her voice light and soothing. Catra gave her a quick wave, and the badger woman smiled, lifting her paw in return. Prince Haman hung back behind their guard, warily glancing between Glimmer and Catra. “We know we must be early, but it was a long trip from our kingdom. Timing our arrival was not a simple task.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fine.” Glimmer beckoned for the three to follow her. “Come on, let me show you to the guest rooms. You must be hungry and tired! You can take all the time you need to rest before Prom.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sorrell beamed, and in a move that surprised Catra, she reached out to take Glimmer’s arm. Glimmer looked shocked for a moment, then absolutely thrilled, patting Sorrell’s paw fondly as she led them through the hall. Haman and their guard stuck close behind her, staying silent as Sorrell spoke for all of them. “Thank you, Queen Glimmer. We could certainly use a break.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they chatted, Catra watched the strangers leave with narrowed eyes. From the moment they had stepped inside the hall, a familiar scent had caught her attention, growing stronger as they passed. She couldn’t quite place it though, and wasn’t about to cause a scene in Scorpia’s kingdom over what could turn out to be nothing. With an uneasy sigh, she left to find Scorpia, and alert her to their early guests.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Scorpia was supervising the delivery crew as they settled her throne down to the ground. They lifted the base, revealing a large empty chamber in the core, and started loading sand and water into it. Once done, they sealed it, placing the throne back atop it and giving it a test shake. It stayed in place, the weight of its core keeping it secure. Redhead gave his leader a pat on the back that looked more like a slap, and Salt-and-pepper growled in response, lifting a hand threateningly. Redhead ducked away, back to the rest of the group, grumbling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Madam, we’re all set here. We’ll be back this evening to make sure you’ve got no issues with it before we return to Seaworthy.” The leader bowed, and Scorpia nodded in response.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, guys! You all did such a great job. Hey, grab a snack before you go! We’re bringing out the treats for the party tonight, so help yourselves.” She settled into her new throne, clicking her claws with excitement. The delivery men cheered, making a beeline for the food tables, rushing past Catra as she stepped onto the dais. Scorpia gave the arm a pat. “Ooh, Catra, come try this! It’s so comfy!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Catra frowned, and Scorpia sat upright. “What? What’s wrong? Is it too much? Just imagine me in a way fancier getup on this thing. I’ll strike fear into people’s hearts, earn their respect with just a glance!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Scorpia, you’re terrifying and beautiful already. You don’t need to go crazy.” Catra leaned against the throne, snapping her fingers to get Scorpia’s attention as the princess continued fawning over her new prize. “Listen, one of the new kingdoms is here early.” Catra took a step back as Scorpia sprang up in excitement. “Whoa, easy. Something’s up with them. Let’s not go rushing to them right away.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Something’s up? Should I go help?” Scorpia started striding towards the exits to the guest rooms, and Catra grabbed her arm to stop her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What part of ‘let’s not rush’ didn’t you get?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Scorpia stopped, pouting. “I’m supposed to be running this shindig, wildcat. If I can’t fix whatever’s wrong, I’m not doing my job.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Listen for a second.” Catra’s tail flicked in annoyance, and Scorpia took a breath, turning to face Catra with full attention. “I know this is weird, but… I smelled something on them. Something I know is bad. I can’t tell what, but I recognize it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Catra, I trust your judgement. Well, maybe not completely. You made some bad calls in the past.” Scorpia scratched her chin, purposely avoiding Catra’s glare. “But now I do. And if you say something’s up, then it is. So what’s our plan?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Help me get closer.” Catra was surprised when Scorpia immediately nodded. “Maybe I can go back home and grab Melog, turn invisible, sneak around a bit. But that means we need to get Glimmer away from them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Glimmer’s with them? Do you think she’s in trouble?” Scorpia grabbed her tail, pulling it to her chest to soothe herself. Catra shook her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sparkles is way more badass than we ever figured back in the Horde. She can take care of herself.” Catra frowned, staring past Scorpia as her mind raced. “But can you send someone to get her? Maybe pretend we need her for some more Prom setup?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think we actually do need her for more setup. Bow mentioned putting some flowers on the roof…” Scorpia waved a pair of guards over, giving orders as they approached. “Go fetch Queen Glimmer and Lord Bow, and Princess Adora while you’re at it. Send them to my chambers right away. Tell them we need their help with Prom decorations.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-+-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wes was impressed with the size of the room Glimmer led their group to. It was as large as the barracks he normally slept in, but with two large plush beds, each paired with a dresser and vanity for grooming purposes. Sorrell flopped onto the bed in the guest room, sprawled in a most unladylike fashion as Glimmer giggled in the doorway. “This is perfect! Soft sheets again…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Haman scowled, leaning against the wall as Wes set their bags down, groaning at the burn in his back and arms. “When is this party supposed to start? No offense, but this place doesn’t scream comfort like our room back home.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sorrell shot him a look, and Haman frowned, huffing and folding his arms across his chest. Sadness filled Wes’ heart, his ears flattening. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s gotten into you? Before we left, you were excited to get to explore a new kingdom.” Sorrell stared at Haman, and he shrugged, avoiding her gaze. She pushed off the bed and joined Glimmer once more. “Queen Glimmer, I apologize for my brother. I think he left his manners in Sett.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glimmer dismissed Sorrell’s apology with a wave of her hand, shaking her head. “It’s quite alright. I imagine travelling was exhausting. No one’s the same person when you’ve been on the road for days on end.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wes hoped that was all it was. Haman hadn’t been the same since they left home. He had initially chalked it up to being worried about their departure, or scared of the trouble they’d all be in once they returned home. But even at night, when they’d normally sneak off to whisper to one another or hold paws in the moonlight, Haman was cold and distant. The stoic guard could feel his heart breaking. He wished fiercely that they had never left Sett. The King had been right to forbid it, for more reasons than he could ever have known.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you’re not busy, could we trouble you for a tour?” Sorrell asked, sounding hopeful. “I’m dying to learn more about our allies and their homes. We don’t get much information from outside of Sett.” When Glimmer nodded, she brightened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m staying. Might as well catch a nap before the madness starts,” Haman grumbled, sitting on one of the beds and kicking off his shoes. When Wes moved to help him, Haman growled, turning away. “I’ve got it. Go with Sorrell.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wes slumped. “My lord, shouldn’t I stay with you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ve got guards patrolling regularly, friend,” Glimmer said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sorrell offered her paw to Wes. He took it, and she pulled him to the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glimmer gave him a pat on the arm. “He’ll be safe, I swear it to you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Wes, come with us,” Sorrell said. “You deserve to see the rest of Garnet Falls, too.” She gave him a pointed look, one that Haman thankfully didn’t seem to notice. Wes swore those two could talk with just their eyes sometimes. This time, what she meant was ‘leave it, I need you’, and he wasn’t about to argue with her. He followed Sorrell and Glimmer out of the room, and they shut the door, leaving Haman to mutter to himself about their sleeping arrangements on his own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They traveled down the hall, Glimmer pointing out statues and artwork that Scorpia had installed. Sorrell responded with interest until they had stepped outside completely. The sun was still shining brightly, but Wes felt like his heart was covered in a layer of ice. As soon as they were clear of the building, Sorrell stopped suddenly, grabbing Glimmer’s hand. “My lady. Please, just a moment.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wes froze. Glimmer nodded, a bit shocked. Sorrell took a deep breath, glancing at Wes, then back at her new friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We need your help.” Sorrell’s voice cracked a bit, and she looked down sheepishly. Wes took a step forward, putting his paw on her shoulder. That seemed to bolster her, and she straightened, looking into Glimmer’s eyes. “Something is terribly wrong with my brother. Don’t you agree, Wes?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorrell, he’s just tired.” Wes protested, and she shook her head, making his heart sink into his stomach. “Right? I mean, we’ve never done this before. Maybe that’s it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, Wes. You’re always covering for him, don’t do that right now. You</span>
  <em>
    <span> know</span>
  </em>
  <span> him. He adores you, but he’s treated you like dung since the moment we left.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glimmer watched them, and Wes felt vulnerable, avoiding her gaze. She seemed to think for a moment, then reached out, taking Sorrell’s paw with a fondness that surprised Wes. “Princess Sorrell, my friends and I will do everything we can to help you get to the bottom of this. If our kingdoms are ever going to be allies, we have to have each other’s backs, right?”</span>
  <span></span>
    <br/>
  
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Sorrell looked pleased, letting herself relax. “You have no idea how grateful I am to hear you say that. My father, King Melinus, has kept our kingdom closed off for so long. I’m in no rush to replace him, but I mean to make Sett part of Etheria proper once again. And…” She chewed on her lip, ears twitching. “We need friends. Haman, Wes, and I. We’ve only had each other for so long, and I love them dearly, but it’s time we embraced more people in our lives.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glimmer squeezed Sorrell’s paw. “You’ve got friends here now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wes took a deep breath, trying to will himself to relax. If Sorrell trusted this queen, he needed to as well. He glanced around to make sure they still weren’t being watched, then grunted softly to get Sorrell’s attention. “Haman… What do we do for him?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sorrell shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t even know where to start.” Sadness filled her, and Wes resisted the urge to reach out and hug her. Glimmer did it for him. He was surprised at how touchy this ruler was, but by the way Sorrell hugged back, he supposed it was more normal than he realized. Sorrell easily had a head and a half on Glimmer, and Wes hoped the queen wasn’t being smothered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry. We’ll go get my other friends and all put our heads together. And you still need to meet Princess Scorpia, maybe she’ll have some ideas too.” Glimmer pulled back, giving Sorrell a warm smile. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wes hoped she was right.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. A Meeting & A Plan</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Everyone meets up to figure out why Catra is so upset by the visitors from Sett. Tempest receives a call.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Adora and Perfuma were the last to gather in Scorpia’s chambers, having been outside decorating the path to the ballroom. Glimmer and Bow sat on a lounger near Scorpia, while Catra had a seat saved for Adora near the fireplace. The flames were low, little more than embers and charcoal, lit for ambiance more than light since Garnet Falls still used the Fright Zone’s old electric system. Even so, Adora was grateful for its warmth, and wasn’t surprised Catra had claimed the area in front for their own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adora didn’t recognize the two hulking figures settled in front of Scorpia, bundled in cloaks and leaning against one another. They looked royal, or at least one did - a girl with beautiful green robes, seated with perfect posture that made Adora’s back hurt just looking at it. The other was massive, all muscle and armor. With the way he tenderly held the princess’ paw, he was a friend or personal guard for sure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No one seemed tense save Catra, who leaned forward in her seat and stared intently at the guests, barely glancing up at Adora’s approach. Melog lounged behind her on a cushion, enjoying the warmth of the fire’s embers. Adora slung an arm around Catra, hoping to settle her further, but even that didn’t break Catra’s fixed gaze.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Scorpia pulled Perfuma into her lap, kissing her cheek. Perfuma practically glowed, and Adora couldn’t help but smile at them. The princess of flowers was a wisp of a woman compared to her girlfriend’s muscular form, but perfectly at ease, not a speck of fear over Scorpia’s sharp claws or dangerous tail. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Scorpia gestured to the two newcomers, beaming broadly at Adora. “Glad we’re all here now. Perfuma, Adora, I want you to meet Crown Princess Sorrell and her guard, Wes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The smaller of the two, whom Adora guessed was Sorrell, dipped her head. She held herself like Glimmer had tried holding herself since Angella’s passing, moving with confidence and grace. Her voice was crisp, but not harsh, commanding attention when she spoke. “It’s a true pleasure. Queen Glimmer tells me you are also a princess...?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before Adora could answer, Scorpia spoke up once more, her voice chipper. “Adora’s a special kind of princess. Not everyone in the Princess Alliance has their own kingdom. In fact-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Catra cleared her throat, shooting Scorpia a pointed look to silence her. She had sat painfully still throughout their introduction, but now she nearly vibrated, her neck fur fluffed in agitation. Her hand gripped Adora’s thigh, and judging by the pressure, Adora knew she’d have a neat little row of bruises there in the morning. Still, she placed her own hand over Catra’s, giving it a gentle squeeze.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Scorpia blinked. “What’s wrong, Catra?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Catra let go of Adora’s leg, to her great relief. “Are we sure we can trust them?” She motioned towards Sorrell and Wes, the two exchanging a glance in confusion. Adora shot Catra a chastising look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glimmer’s brow furrowed. She wasn’t thrilled by Catra’s attitude either, it seemed. “Seriously, Catra? You only just met them, and they’re our guests. Can you give them time to adjust to you before you start acting like an ass?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Catra’s ears flattened, and Adora put a hand on her back to soothe her. Catra paused, taking a deep breath, and when she spoke again her words felt less pointed. “I sensed something wrong when they arrived. That’s why Scorpia called us all here, so we could talk in private. I just didn’t expect you to bring them too, Glimmer.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glimmer and Wes huffed, almost in unison. Wes opened his mouth to speak, but Sorrell held up a paw. “Lady Catra. I take no offense at your statement. We are new here, and I imagine our early arrival has not been easy on anyone, no matter how gracious your companions have been.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s been no bother, really,” Bow said, looking up from some scraps of fabric he was piecing together. Adora couldn’t tell what he was making, but it certainly wasn’t anywhere close to finished.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If I may be so bold, could we be privy to what you sensed?” Sorrell continued. By the way she tilted her head, she seemed genuinely curious. The motion made a strand of hair fall out of the ponytail she wore, and she took a moment to tuck it back into place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why?” Catra narrowed her eyes. “So you can make up excuses?” A soft, sad laugh escaped her, and a wave of sorrow rolled through Adora. She recognized that laugh from the times she had faced Catra, before her girlfriend had left the Horde. It was a laugh of desperation, defeat. In that moment, she ached, wanting to pull Catra into a hug and hold her until the emptiness passed. “Things just start going wrong, and then you three show up, reeking of who knows what…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now, see here,” Wes started, his voice sharp but less gruff than Adora expected from such a massive figure. He shifted and began to stand, but Sorrell touched his shoulder, shaking her head. With a frustrated growl, he complied, settling back down. Sorrell rose instead. She stepped slowly, paws clasped in front of her, almost gliding across the floor until she reached Catra. The magicat pinned her ears, and behind her, Melog’s mane bristled. To Adora’s surprise, Sorrell kneeled before Catra.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please. My brother is acting strange. He hasn’t laughed or smiled since we left home. He won’t look Wes in the eye.” Sorrell’s voice cracked. She swallowed, and Adora thought she saw the glint of a tear in the badger woman’s eyes. Catra stayed tensed, her tail lashing, but Melog’s mane seemed to soften. “We came from Sett for the Princess Prom, but now… I worry we have lost Haman.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wes rubbed at his eyes, trying to brush away the streaks of tears cutting through his fur. He stared at the intricate rug on the floor, as if the scene in front of him was too intense to focus on. It surprised Adora when Glimmer joined him, wrapping her arms around him as best as she could, considering his broad build and her short limbs. It seemed to surprise him too, as he startled for a moment, then leaned into her embrace as his guard came down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re very fond of him, aren’t you?” Glimmer’s voice was low, and her words seemed more an observation than a true question. Wes didn’t respond, only sniffing a little as he wiped his face again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sorrell bowed her head, shoulders sinking. Adora tried to catch Catra’s gaze, but her love was focused, staring down at Sorrell, tail thumping rhythmically against the base of their seat. This was all very raw, too much emotion in one space. It felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. After a tense moment, Catra stood. She stepped closer to Sorrell, and the badger princess lifted her head. Catra held out one hand. “Let me smell.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Smell….?” Sorrell asked, confusion on her face. Catra grunted, motioning to her paw. Sorrell’s ears perked as she began to understand, and she obliged, placing a paw in Catra’s hand. “Of course.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Catra glanced awkwardly at everyone else in the room, and Adora couldn’t help but laugh. It was like looking into the past - young Catra, getting a read on what everyone thought before doing something that might make her look foolish. Like the time Catra got dared by Lonnie to taste a crayon, and wouldn’t do it until Adora told her it was brave. This time, it was Glimmer who offered the support she needed. She gave Catra a thumbs-up, nodding in approval.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another moment of hesitation, and then Catra brought Sorrell’s paw up to her face, giving it a few quick sniffs before letting it drop. She turned towards Scorpia, shaking her head. “What I smelled isn’t on her.” Adora raised an eyebrow, and when Catra noticed, she scowled. “Don’t give me that look. When they all came in, I smelled something familiar, something bad. It reminded me of the Fright Zone.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We are quite literally in what used to be the Fright Zone.” Bow chimed in, trying to keep his tone in check as he gestured around the room. “Are you sure you didn’t just smell the buildings?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Catra shot him a glare. “No, Bow. If I had just ‘smelled the buildings’, I would’ve smelled it since we first got here.” Her voice was sharp, more sharp than she had intended by the way she looked away from him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t snap at him.” Glimmer piped up, releasing Wes from her hug. Perfuma nodded in agreement from Scorpia’s lap as Glimmer moved back to her seat with Bow, placing a hand on his arm. “He’s just trying to help. We don’t know for sure what you smelled, and it’s not fair to our new friends to start accusing them like this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sorrell stood, slipping her paw back into Catra’s hand, causing Catra’s tail to fluff up. The new princess either didn’t notice or didn’t care, and pulled her to Wes. She tugged at Wes’ paw, and he gave it to her without a fight. She held it up to Catra, ignoring how Catra recoiled at the tear-covered fur. “Please, try Wes now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Catra did. She sniffed, wrinkled her nose, and took a step back. “No. Not him. No more wet stuff in my face now, please.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sorrell faced Catra again, trembling slightly. “So whatever you smelled was most likely on Haman. I’m not sure whether to be sick from worry, or pleased that we have a lead.” She sighed, sitting back down next to Wes, patting his arm fondly. Wes wiped his paw on his cloak, frowning. His face was still wet from crying, and he took the corners of his cloak, scrubbing his cheeks with it until his fur stood on end.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The room lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. Glimmer looked irritated, her face flushed, but had no further arguments against their theory. Adora couldn’t easily read the expressions on their new friends, but she hoped they weren’t too upset by Catra’s actions or accusations. Catra hadn’t moved, standing awkwardly in the center of the group, the muscles in her arms tensing and relaxing as she balled her hands into fists and released them. She was taking slow, deep breaths, hopefully to calm herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adora spoke up, trying to follow as best as she could. “So, your brother… Prince Haman was fine before you left Sett. He’s completely different now, and at least as of his arrival here, he smells like something Catra remembers. Catra’s never been to Sett, not that we know of.” She ticked off the points on her fingers as she brought them up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t even know Sett existed until a month ago,” Catra grumbled, rejoining Adora in front of the fireplace. She seemed to have calmed down, out of the danger zone of a panic attack. Melog bumped her back with their head, and she reached behind her, scratching their neck in a way that made their paws twitch with joy. “I really wish I could place that smell. It set me on edge immediately.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s alright, wildcat.” Scorpia stroked her chin, humming softly to herself. “We don’t know what, or why, but we can make a plan to move forward with. Prom’s in just a few hours, and we can get some of my people to finish setting up without us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Perfuma nodded, letting her hand rest on Scorpia’s arm. Scorpia flushed, patting her hand and smiling fondly at her. Perfuma smiled back, then turned her attention towards Bow. “Bow and I can make sure that the setup gets finished. We’ll take turns checking in on preparations. Right, Bow?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course.” Bow pushed himself up, checklist already in hand, fabric scraps tucked into his pocket. He purposely avoided Catra’s gaze, focusing instead on Perfuma and Scorpia. “As soon as we’re done, I’ll go assign tasks. We’ll swap out every hour, Perfuma. I’ll take first.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glimmer glanced at Adora, worry forming creases around her eyes. “We should make sure Haman isn’t left alone until we know what’s going on. It’s bad enough he’s been alone this long already.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adora grabbed Catra’s hand, and she felt Catra give her a squeeze. She studied Sorrell’s face, searching for any sign that they had been wrong, that she was misleading them or unworthy of their trust. There was none. This new princess was focused on her guard, stroking one of his giant paws with hers as he steeled himself. Adora had to trust they were on the right path. She locked eyes with Glimmer. “I’ll be on the first watch. Glimmer, you already met him. Maybe you should introduce us so it seems less suspicious.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m coming too. Lady Catra, if you would be so kind as to join Wes on the second watch, I am sure he would appreciate your fortitude when dealing with my brother,” Sorrell added, pulling her gaze away from Wes. He watched her with concern, but she gave his leg a pat and he settled. </span>
  <em>
    <span>They must have some history to be able to read each other so well</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Adora thought to herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And if we can’t figure it out before Prom? We’re just gonna miss the whole thing?” Catra wrinkled her nose. Adora couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. Catra shoved her playfully. “Don’t even start. Coming was your idea.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re not going to miss Prom. Scorpia’s been planning this for months.” Adora rose, pulling Catra onto her feet. She kissed Catra’s forehead, and Catra blushed, looking away. Today she smelled like blueberries. Adora had to figure out where Catra was getting all of these wonderful scents. Maybe she’d craft one special for her. “But we’re going to figure this out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sorrell’s smile was warm as she watched them, and as Glimmer offered her an arm, she graciously took it. Adora gave Catra another sweet kiss, following them out of the room. She heard Catra addressing Wes as she left. “So, uh… Wes, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adora trailed behind Glimmer and Sorrell, impressed by how close the two had already grown. It was with no small measure of amusement that she realized just how much larger these new folk were, especially compared to Glimmer. Sorrell allowed Glimmer to lead, but Glimmer had to hold her arm higher than was comfortable to accommodate her. The badger princess easily towered over Adora, though She-Ra would have her beat by at least half a head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Princess Adora, I hope I did not disturb your mate too much. She seems deeply concerned for the safety of your group, and I do not wish to upset her or make her feel as if we pose some threat to you all.” Sorrell ushered Adora forward, and she sped up, matching their gait.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My mate?” Adora blinked in confusion, then laughed a bit to herself as realization hit her. “Oh, Catra! She… has trouble trusting. It’s not your fault.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sorrell pursed her lips, patting Glimmer’s arm fondly before letting go. Glimmer rolled her shoulders back, working out some kink Adora suspected had been bothering her during their walk. The badger princess glanced between them. “As the future leader of Sett, the blame rests on my shoulders. I do not know what has befallen my brother, but I will solve it, for his sake and for the sake of my people. One day, we will rule together, and that will end in tragedy if I cannot trust him any longer.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adora noticed the way Sorrell’s shoulders dropped as she finished speaking, and she gingerly reached out, placing a hand on her furred arm. “You’re not alone in this anymore. Right, Glimmer?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glimmer beamed, looking up at Sorrell. “See? I told you my friends would get it. Once you’re one of us, your problems are our problems.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This alliance is truly looking better and better.” Sorrell’s voice sounded lighter, less regal and uptight than when she had spoken to the group before. Adora couldn’t help but smile. “I’m… I’m terribly grateful to you. To both of you. I’m excited to have new friends.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re glad to have you, too. And once we fix whatever’s wrong with Haman, we’ll be thrilled to have him as well.” Adora pulled her hand back, but her words earned a wide grin from Sorrell. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glimmer skipped ahead, turning to face them and walking backwards for a few steps. “Come on, let’s get back to Haman. I hate that we left him alone for so long already. The sooner we figure this out, the sooner we can focus on partying!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>-+-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tempest stood outside the throne room as Micah entertained guests from Salineas, ignoring the loud music and the scents of delicious food wafting through the halls. Her expression stayed stoic, gaze unbroken, the very model of a perfect guard. That is, until a soft vibration in the pouch at her side snapped her out of the empty place her mind had drifted to. She glanced at her companion, another guard stationed at the opposite side of the doorway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I need a moment, Jediah.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The other guard nodded silently, and Tempest stepped off down the hall, heading towards the bathrooms to avoid suspicion. Once out of sight, she ducked into a small alcove to the side, pulling her communicator from her pouch and answering the call.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On the screen, a furred badgerfolk face stared back at her, teeth bared. She gasped for a moment, then glanced around to make sure no one had heard her. The hall stayed empty and silent.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you thinking, calling me looking like that?” Tempest’s voice stayed low, a hiss through her clenched teeth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The badger stared for a moment, then shut his mouth, ears wiggling. “Sorry, gorgeous. I thought that was a smile. Honestly, this has been a fun way to challenge myself compared to my normal jobs.” The badger’s eyes changed, turning bright yellow, pupils becoming faint slits that barely widened as they grew excited. “It’s done.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Already? You weren’t expected to be finished until tonight.” Tempest glared, but the shapeshifter seemed unfazed by her irritation. They shrugged, and she rubbed her forehead, pinching the skin of her nose to try and alleviate pressure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I had an opportunity and took it. Sorry I’m so good at my work.” The badger smirked, examining their claws. “The sister and guard left me alone for a while, probably off playing with their new friends. Now I can relax and enjoy the party.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you sure you placed it properly? This may be our only chance to reach the Black Garnet without using force.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sound echoed through the hall. Tempest could hear the shuffling of feet approaching and the scrape of wheels across tile, and she quickly tucked the communicator into her pouch, ignoring the squeak of protest from the false Haman. She took a step out of the alcove. A few yards away, one of the kitchen staff approached with a cart of fresh food. She snapped to attention as they passed, waiting until they had gone before yanking the device back out with a huff.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The badger frowned, wagging a finger. “Some warning would have been nice.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up. We’ve already failed twice. We need this to work. Are you positive it’s done?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Darling, you wound me.” They put a hand to their chest in a gesture of mild shock and distaste. “Of course it’s done, and perfectly to boot. Your people made the right choice hiring me. I’m well worth my price.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you’ve failed, getting paid won’t be a problem for you in the future. Or at least, not your biggest problem,” Tempest snarled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The badger put their paw down, flattening their ears. “Don’t threaten me with a good time. Besides, I’m a mercenary, not a zealot of whatever crap your people are trying to pull off.” Their face shifted, becoming narrower and tinged with green. After a moment, they took a breath, reforming into Haman’s face and adopting a neutral smile once more. “And after tonight, I’m gone. Unless you want to hire me for something longer term, I’m going to take an early retirement and get all my beauty sleep on Etheria’s prettiest beaches.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do whatever you want.” Tempest’s response was far more tempered, and she smiled wryly at the screen. “Just make sure you’re not discovered before the end of the evening.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure, babe. Have a </span>
  <em>
    <span>great</span>
  </em>
  <span> night.” They waved her comment away and grinned, winking at her before hanging up. With a deep sigh, she chucked the device back into her pouch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Enjoy your last few days of peace, you sellsword worm. With any luck, the first thing Ysimer will destroy is that damned beach you end up on.” She straightened, pulling her face back into a neutral expression before stepping back into the hall to resume her duties.</span>
</p>
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